Dusk Horizon
by Renesmee's Theory
Summary: Why is it hard to live life like every normal person? Why do you have the hots for someone you think is out of your league? Why does your annoying dad keep ruining your life? Why are you asking so many questions? Well that's the story of a vampire teenager. Well maybe it applies to everyone.
1. Chapter 1: Pilot

**A/N: Hello Readers! I've come back and with a new story in my hands which I'll be presenting to you all this summer! **

Summary: **This story takes place seven years after BD and I think we all know that Renesmee's fully grown by then. This totally not canon to my stories this is totally something new. Renesmee's going through her final stage of maturity and it definitely involves teenage-hood. She's having entirely new feelings and is completely confused about them. **

**I don't want to give away too much but all I'm going to say is this is going to be a bumpy ride. Oh and new characters!**

… …

_**Dusk Horizon**_

**RENESMEE'S POV**

… …

Dusk. I could feel the summer air breeze gushing past my glowing marble skin. All I could stare at was the bright sunset that stood before me. I always thought the moon and Neptune got it right with being the most beautiful things out there in space but the sun is one majestic sight. I skimmed at my surrounding realizing I was around 10 dozen oak trees and plants blooming. I tuned my ears to listen to the sound of nature. The badgers screeching and the owls howling, I even listened to the antelope play with the squirrels in the bushes.

I suddenly heard footsteps coming my way and the sound of leaves ruffling reached me and the birds flying away in order to protect their own lives. The odds were in their favor but were they in mine? I began panicking and all I thought was 'Run Renesmee!' but my actions were different as I just stood there not moving a muscle.

Then I spun my head around only to find no one.

I frowned. Who could that have been?

I suddenly heard a coyote howl coming from a distance and a coyote howl only meant danger so I began sprinting my way through the forest, running as fast as possible away from any danger. I could virtually picture who the intruder could have been. One of the Volturi's or one of my family's very famous enemies coming for me…

I was a vampire, which meant I could protect myself from any obstacles that gets thrown at me but I was also a human which meant I could be vulnerable and afraid at times and couldn't overcome a task such as saving my life from an enemy.

I finally reached the clearing and when I realized the coast was clear and no footsteps crimpling on the dry leaves, I stood behind a tree as I realized all the access breaths I've been keeping in –one of the other advantages of being a hybrid– and closed my eyes.

They soon blinked right open when I felt a gush of wind run past me and leaves breezing in the blissful skies. They were on to me. Whoever it was had found me. Or better statement. _Whatever_ it was…

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a second preparing myself to possible doom. I had to face them and no one was going to stop me. This was the end…

I maneuvered myself away from the tree to take steps forward. My head was facing the ground as I watched my legs tremble. I then lifted my head slowly to meet the light, the shining light. I was faced with the brightest and sublime eyes I've ever seen.

Those luscious dark brown eyes met my chocolate ones. I gasped at the sight of the majestically pulchritudinous horse that stood in the star, the hot ball of glowing gases at the heart of the solar system …but wait it wasn't a horse. It was more alluringly exquisite than that. It was the wolf, my wolf, my best friend/brother, my Jacob…

I couldn't help but simper at him.

"Hey Jake," I whispered at him, sauntering up to his spot. I began ruffling his fur and he purred in return. "Quit scaring me you big ole lump," I laughed. He moved his head forward and gave me a huge lick on the side of my face leaving slobber all over me.

I loved Jacob! He was my best friend and I don't know what I could do without him but things between us have…

"**Renesmee, oh earth to Nessie…"**

_**End of day-dream…**_

I finally moved back to my translate state and back to reality as I moved my gaze from the ceiling and onto the portrait I'd been working on for the past month. I looked at the paint brush in my hand and back to the portrait. It was exactly the same thing I envisioned in my thoughts. It was the picture of the picture of a wolf standing in a confident state in the sunlight and the face of one of the most handsome creatures in the background.

"Nessie, lunch is ready!" I heard my loving grandmother call out. I smiled one last time at the portrait and covered it making sure nobody could see it and placed the paintbrush down and leaving my room.

I trotted down the stairs and passed by my Uncles who were currently watching some football match, something called superpower or something like that.

"I told you The New York Giants would win the Superbowl Jasper boy!" Emmett exclaimed triumphantly with his hands in the air. "I think I need my 20 bucks deposited to my bank known as my hand," Emmett added as he extended his hand. "Pay up"

Jasper groaned and gave the money roughly to Emmett. Emmett held it happily and gave it a small peck.

"Ah, George Washington, in the flesh," He said with a wide smirk. Jasper rolled his eyes. "Dude don't hate the player. Hate the game!"

"What's going on here?" I asked, laughing at my randomly crazy uncles.

"Oh my dearest niece, Jasper's pissed because I beat his ass. I'm sure you want little Alice to kiss it better hmm?" He cooed. Jasper threw pillows at him and Emmett just sniggered at his attempts.

"I'd be glad to," Alice said coming into view with her huge binder in her hands. She gave Jasper a small kiss on the cheek and Emmett a slap on the head.

"Ow!"

"That's for angering my Jasper wessy-kens," She giggled. "Oh and by the way, the Baltimore Raes are winning next year."

"You mean the Ravens?" Emmett asked with his eyes widened. She nodded. "Well gee thanks for the spoiler alert sis, some sister you are." He pouted as he crossed his arms like a five year old. I laughed at the group as I continued my journey to the kitchen to find my Grandmother Esme standing by the counter as she cleaned it up whilst humming to the classical songs that were ringing around the house.

I realized then that it wasn't just any classical song, it was my mom's lullaby played by my father. They must be in the piano room together. That meant my parents were back!

My mother and father were visiting one of their high school friend's wedding. I think they're names were Ben and Angie or Angela something like that. Well anyway, they were gone for the whole weekend and I missed them so much.

Actually they were back about two hours ago but they thought that they could spare those two hours to um…'be together' whatever that meant. I knew what it meant but it was just too repulsive to think about.

"Mom and dad are back from the cottage?" I asked my grandmother as I took a seat on the island chair. I looked down at my plate. Oh my grandmother's favorite Italiana.

"Yes, they just got back sweetheart." She replied. I nodded.

"How are you grandma?" I asked her. She smiled back warmly. Esme had always liked being called Grandmother. In fact she loves everything, there's nothing in this world she hates.

"I'm good, thank you and how about you sweet pea?" She asked. I gave her a small smile. I checked my watch to see that it was 13: 34.

"Hey Grandma, has Jacob come yet?"

"No sweetheart, he's still on patrol." She replied. I nodded slightly disappointed.

I get that Jacob was the Alpha and had to protect his tribe and the community but all this patrolling is taking my Jacob away from me, my best friend since birth well my birth in this case.

My mother finally came into view and smiled when she saw me. Bella was breathtakingly statuesque as a vampire. I compared all the pictures I've seen when she was human and now and to answer your question: No we don't turn invisible when vampires take pictures and no you don't see half of my body when I take a picture of myself. That's just a stereotype humans portray supernatural creatures.

Anyway…My mother was like my sister so to say; she's always there to be the loving protective mother but always there to be the supportive sister.

She sauntered towards me and gave me a small kiss on my head and stroked my bronze hair softly. I smiled at her.

"Hey mom,"

"Why don't you get ready for dinner?" She asked frowning at me. I returned it as I stared as the plate that I was currently eating.

"Mom, it's like one o'clock." I laughed. She rolled her eyes.

"She means put on something nice tonight even though you still look beautiful as you are." Alice said coming into view with Rosalie behind her. Alice grinned widely at Bella who just rolled her eyes. I stared down at my outfit. I wore a hoodie and some skinny denim jeans and my hair was tied back in a messy bun.

"Why do I need to wear something nice?" I asked. The women grinned at each other in an awkward exchange…well for me, except for my mother who just sighed and shook her head disapprovingly.

"We invited a guest, for what we liked to call the…reunion." Rosalie said with a giddy smile. "Let's just hope that dog doesn't come and ruin it," She said with an eye roll. Well, why am I not surprised?

Rosalie and Jacob still had that undying feud rivalry against each other. I never got the full extent on their dislike for each other but I'm pretty sure it's something really stupid.

"Oh come on girls, you're freaking out my daughter now on with it…scoots!" Bella said ushering them away. Alice groaned.

"Bella you no fun!" she said then gasped. "Ooh, but I could always use the next three hours to pick an outfit for Nessie to wear," She said excitedly and ran out of the room in a blinding speed that I don't think a human could have caught it. "And you're helping Rose!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and began gaiting up the stairs following Alice's way. Bella shook her head and turned around to face Esme and me. We then began a full on conversation on how crazy Alice was and what they'd be planning for this so called 'reunion dinner' whatever this was.

I tuned out of it when I heard the sound of my lullaby reach my ears. I smiled and moved away from the group and began walking to the piano room. When I got there, I saw my father's back as he played on the keys not missing one note. I loved my dad's music, it always soothed me and took me to a whole other dimension then the one I was currently situated.

When I reached him, I sat on the open seat right next to him and lay my head lightly on his cold shoulder. My daddy's shoulder.

I could hear his smile as he read my mind.

"It's interesting to find out that you still call me that _baby girl_," He murmured to me. I giggled.

"You'll always be my daddy," I replied.

"Well I love that you haven't grown old of me," He said with a light chuckle but I could hear the sadness in his voice. I moved my head so I could look at him.

"Dad, do you think we'll all live forever?" I asked rhetorically.

"Yes, of course sweetheart, we're vampires remember?" He said. I smiled.

"Then you should know that I'll always be your little girl." I reminded him. "Forever and ever and ever and eve-"

"I get it honey," He snickered. "But I'm glad you haven't forgotten that." He said pecking me on the forehead whilst never moving his fingers over the piano keys.

"I love you daddy,"

"I love you too baby." He whispered and we kept quiet as we listened to him play the song. "So do you want to play along with me?" He asked. I smiled and nodded and played along.

"Never grow up sweetheart, always stay my little Renesmee." He said.

"Never," I replied.

It was then I heard the door open and close and the loud boom of the one I wanted the whole day. I smelt the scent of Jacob ringing into the house and released a loud squeal. My dad sighed and I dropped my grin.

"Your wolf awaits,"

"I'll make it up to you daddy," I said giving him a small kiss on the cheek and got off the chair and began trotting down the stairs in a blinding speed. When I saw Jacob's bare back I smiled and charged towards him and jumped on him.

"What the-"

And then we fell onto the ground and began rolling around. Luckily he was in the living room and the carpet was soft like cushions. We laughed as we found each other on top of each other. I looked deep into his beautiful brown eyes as I lay on his chest.

"Well I guess someone's happy to see me." He commented. I blushed scarlet. "Hey Ness,"

"Hey!" I said, and then it all went silent only thing we could both hear were our heartbeats thudding in a synchronization motion. I was still staring into his eyes. I can't define how beautiful they were, I mean people say brown eyes are plain but all I see is pure beauty. Jacob's brown eyes reminded me of the dark forests in the night and the way it sparkled reminds me of the stars in the blissful sky. Jacob was always fascinating to me. Everything about him just spelt beautiful…masterpiece.

"Um Ness…you're a lot heavier then you look you know?" He said jokingly. I rolled my eyes and punched him on his hard chest. "Ow! But you're quite strong,"

I laughed and got up from lying on his hot body. I'm aware of how that sounded but I meant because his body temperature was firing hot. But that's what I loved about him. I extended my arm to him and he took it gladly.

"Do you actually think I'd take a break from patrolling just for you to punch me?" He asked his hand still on his chest as he groaned in pain but him and I both knew he was joking around.

"You know what, I do!" I said sauntering over to the couches. I heard him chuckle as he followed me from behind.

"What?"

"I mean, you've been patrolling far too much and haven't been spending any time with me Jake. Call me selfish but I miss you." I said sadly as he sat down and I sat on his lap. He smiled at me.

"Renesmee you're not selfish. You won't believe me when I say this but I feel exactly the same way, I haven't been around much but I promise that's going to change now," He said with a reassuring smile. I eyed my best friend carefully.

"Promise?" I asked. He nodded.

"Promise,"

"No this calls for something drastic." I stated. He frowned. "Repeat after me: I Jacob Black swear to never miss a day without seeing Renesmee and promise to never let Wolf Duties come between us and I promise to be nicer to her aunt Rosalie." I said. His eyes widened at the last part.

"But where's the fun in that?" He asked sadly.

"Jacob…" I warned.

He groaned but nodded.

"Sure sure," He stated. I smiled widely and wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest as I hugged him tightly. I diverted my head from his chest to face him only to catch him staring at me. We always stared at each other like this but this seemed a lot more different. Jacob looked at me like he saw this majestic bird that's the only one of its kind.

"Um Jake are you okay?" I asked him. He didn't break from his gaze until he finally shook his head and nodded.

"Yeah I'm perfect, why wouldn't I be? I'm Jacob Black." He said winking at me. I laughed.

That's when our doorbell rang. I breathed the air to smell who it was and realized it was a familiar scent but I couldn't quite put my finger on who the scent belonged to.

"I wonder who it is," I sniggered as I got off Jake's lap. I could hear him say something under his breath but I didn't know what as I only focused on who was standing outside.

I sauntered all the way to the door to answer it. I opened it and there stood a tall, olive skinned man with teak black hair. He smiled whitely as he saw my face and my jaw literally dropped.

**Review Please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbye Forks

**RENESMEE'S POV**

My jaw was yielded but my head was spinning around as memories of the dreadful encounter with the Volturi and how everything shifted the moment Alice got back from her trip to Brazil, and bringing in the one other person that's of my kind, the one person that basically sealed the deal that our 'species' aren't harmful to human life. The one person who truly saved my family…

Nahuel…

I gasped out.

His mouth unhitched, however, his eyes seemed a bit muddled.

"Good day Madam, is this the Cullen residence?" He spoke in a beautifully clear, warm tone of voice. His accent seemed to have faded away completely from the last time I met him, or maybe I wasn't paying attention before.

He didn't seem to recognize me though.

I hadn't noticed I was completely silent and unresponsive until I heard a clear of the throat.

"Nahuel?" my voice was weak, overwhelmed lacking a better word.

His eyebrows ceased at the mention of his name, probably thinking how this random person recognized him but then it shifted slightly as he got a better look.

"Renesmee?" he replied, his voice now in pure shock as he practically did a double take.

I laughed and nodded my head.

Before I could utter any words, Carlisle appeared with Edward following on his tail with their signature welcomelatory smiles.

"Nahuel!" Carlisle greeted amiably, as he extended his hand.

Nahuel drew his eyes reluctantly from mine, to take Carlisle's hand in a tightened shake.

"Great to see you, Carlisle," Nahuel replied truthfully.

"What brings you here?" Edward smiled when it was his turn to greet him, inviting him in.

"Well…I was around the country for a sort of 'business trip', so I thought I'd stop by. It's great to finally see you all again." Nahuel pointed out as we reached the living room where I left Jacob, however, he wasn't there.

"We feel the same way, dear friend." Carlisle replied, giving him his gentle smile. "Please, have a seat."

Whilst I everyone took their places, I took a seat right next to Nahuel, who seemed quite excited that he was around us, I think.

We suddenly heard the high-pitched sound of the pixy, other known as Alice. My crazy psychic aunt, followed by her husband Jasper. His role would sort of be, the unpredictable uncle. His ability to twiddle with people's emotions, sort of makes us ponder on our feelings. Emmett however would probably share the title of 'Unpredictable uncle' because he's just so sidesplittingly frantic, you don't know what to expect which is entertaining on bad days.

"Oh Nahuel! I didn't expect to see you here." Alice crooned with her arms stretched out wide.

The entire group chuckled.

"Alice, I think the whole house knows you saw him coming." I teased.

Alice shook her head vigorously at the accusation.

"No." She replied. "I mean yes, I have been able to see my visions clearly around you and the wolves –through other people's eyes – but this time since you two are both around, it was a little harder." She smiled, pulling Nahuel into her favorite pixy-bear hug –though it looked odd since Nahuel towered her 4ft10 frame.

"Alice."

"E tao grande se reunir novamente, meu amigo. Quanto voce foi perdido," Alice greeted, throughout the hug before pulling away.

"Obrigado, meu amigo." Nahuel replied.

My eyes were widespread at their surprising exchange. I was stunned. When did Alice have the time to learn a new language when she's not busy reinventing our closets.

"When did you learn Portuguese, Alice?" I questioned my aunt.

"When I spent my time in Brazil that is, I needed to brush up on the language." Alice giggled.

"Fine seeing you here again," Jasper pressed, giving Nahuel a firm greeting. "How have you been keeping?"

Nahuel took his place after all the embrace. "Well, I've been quite great actually. I've been travelling around the world; you can't be in one place longer than you should. I'm guessing you all experience that."

We all laughed at how truthful his statement was.

"That's great. We're happy that you found happiness." Esme said, squeezed by Carlisle's side after she and Rosalie emerged.

Where do they all come from?

"And your aunt, Huilen? How is she holding up?" Edward asked.

"She's well. She's found herself a mate; he's a nomad from Chile. They're doing fine, from what I know. I haven't seen her in over half a year, since I decided to let the lovebirds be, however, I did speak to her though."

"Oh! I just love love!" Alice squeaked, her eyes all dewy and glistening with joy.

Nahuel sniggered –along with some of the family members – and took a lengthy glance at me. I curved my lips into a slight smile.

"That's incredible that she was able to find love." Carlisle said. "We're happy for her." Esme added.

The conversation soon continued on to how Nahuel was and what he's been up to these past six and a half years. He also let us in on his past, what it was like growing up hidden from the world because of fear.

Although I was interested in all his stories, I wasn't fully engrossed in it as I kept wondering where my mother, Bella and Jacob wandered off to. I knew that Emmett was too busy enjoying the superbowl so he probably didn't notice the guest was being fully accommodated in our house. And since he and his wife are pretty much inseparable, Rosalie was probably with him.

As if on cue, Bella and Jacob popped into the room from upstairs. They looked to have been together and talking. I rolled my eyes.

_**Best friend stuff**_, I guessed.

My father chuckled at my thoughts.

The moment Bella emerged; Nahuel automatically got up from his seat and began feeling out of place.

"I heard our guest arrived." Bella stated as she grinned widely at Nahuel who smiled back nervously, his jaw slightly dropping.

"Mrs. Isabella Cullen," He mused respectively, as he extended his hand.

My mom widened her topaz eyes. "Oh…wow! No one's ever received me so kindly and formally that way before. Everyone, take notes!"

Edward smiled at his wife whilst the rest just laughed.

Mother took his returned the greeting. "By the way, the full name card isn't advisable. My husband tends to get a little carried away and uses it for the whole week until I can't take it anymore."

"Ha ha," He mocked. "Don't listen to my wife. She doesn't know what she's saying."

"Oh don't start!" Bella glared playfully.

"Okay! Couples counselling," I retorted, waving my hands at the two bickerers.

Mom rolled her eyes.

Nahuel couldn't help but smile sadly at the exchange between the three of us.

Bella moved aside so Jacob could greet him.

I beamed the moment I saw him and he just winked at me before turning his head back to Nahuel.

It was weird seeing them together in the same light because they were both so lanky and huge. Although, Nahuel was two inches shorter than Jacob but he was close.

"Sup dude," Jake said with his signature smile, giving Nahuel a firm grip.

Nahuel nodded. "You're the pet dog, right?"

Edward chuckled and I could hear Emmett's laugh, echoing from upstairs.

Jacob smiled. "And you're the life sucking demon child, right?"

I gasped.

_**That was rude!**_

Nahuel shrugged it off though, giving him a sly grin.

"Touché," He replied, like a cool sport.

"Nahuel came in from his round trip around the country. He thought he'd visit the coven he encountered less than seven years ago." Edward smiled as he held Bella tightly by the waist as she situated herself on his lap.

Jacob nodded, still eying Nahuel steadily. "Oh,"

"I think the correction to coven is family." Alice replied.

Nahuel and Jacob were the only ones still standing and took their time taking their seats, still eying each other off.

"Sit," Esme scolded and the two men obliged.

"Oh yeah, I forgot…you're the mind reader." Nahuel pointed out, taking his focus over to Edward.

Dad gave him a salute whilst my mom fiddled with his bronze locks that were identical to mine.

"So let me just refresh my memory…so Alice is obviously the fortune teller/psychic, Jasper's ability Pathokinesis, the rest don't have abilities, am I right?" Nahuel pointed out. We all nodded our heads. "So where does that leave you?" He added, pointing towards my mother –who apparently he took a liking to.

Bella was pretty stellar gorgeous. I always thought of my mom as an angel however now, she reminds me of an actual goddess.

"I feel the same way, sweetheart." Edward mouthed back to my thoughts.

I smiled back.

"Well…technically I'm known as 'The Shield'. My alter ego!" Bella chuckled.

"So basically you have power over the mind?" Nahuel questioned, glancing at me then back at my mom.

Bella nodded. "My mind,"

"Right." He said. "And you're able to protect others with your shield."

"Yes." Bella replied. Nahuel seemed quite fascinated by her.

"Well yes, she's also immune to a few abilities…as far as we know; she's not immune to abilities such as Alice's, Jasper's and Renesmee's," Edward elaborated.

I got up from the couch and waltzed over to where Jacob was seated on the arm-chair next to Nahuel's side. He smiled up at me as I took my place on his lap, throwing my legs over the edge of the arm.

"So basically, you can't get into her head?" Nahuel asked.

Everyone chuckled.

"But he has full entry in ours." Jacob sighed with an eye roll, I giggled.

Nahuel had a frown on his face in the current position Jacob and I was in but hid it away before turning back to Edward.

"After years and years of practices…well actually just months, I got the hang of my ability and I can switch my ability off temporarily, so I'm not immune to other abilities. So I've technically joined the club, Jacob." Bella replied.

The group laughed.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Esme asked motherly.

Nahuel thought. "I think something to drink would suffice…water. Thanks."

Esme smiled at him, before leaving the room.

"I've got some O negative blood bags in my office, if you'd like?" Carlisle brought up.

"Actually…I've taken up your diet." Nahuel informed us.

Everyone's eyes widened and gasps came along.

"Oh wow!" Alice commented.

"That's great. How were you able to flip the feeding?" Jasper questioned, seeming pretty intrigued.

"It wasn't easy. But I've noticed your way of living the last time I was here and found it quite interesting. It's been almost a year now, I get tempted by human blood though, but animal blood is quite satisfying, especially tigers." Nahuel chuckled.

"Shame on you, your name was inspired by the jungle cat!" Alice teased. He laughed.

"That's why I keep laughing at the irony." He said. "Anyway, so at first I had to bile it out. Animals are so different from _**human**_ blood."

I cringed at the mention of human blood. I couldn't imagine taking the life of a human let alone sucking the blood out of it. I knew I had it in my system though, since I drank it as an infant but I tried not to dwell on it so much.

As if Jacob knew how I was feeling, he rubbed my arm comfortingly. I smiled.

"So your ability," Nahuel's voice drew me away. "Has it grown?"

I smiled, stretching my hand to his face and placed my palm on his cheek.

_**Nope**_, I sent my thoughts to his.

He widened his eyes.

"Wow, it's like your voice echoes in my head." He laughed. I nodded. "A little weird though."

"I find it just beautiful." Jacob chipped in.

I rolled my eyes.

"I find it pretty interesting though, you need to show me more." Nahuel grinned, staring into my eyes.

I gnawed my bottom lip and projected another thought.

_**There, **_

He smiled.

After about an hour of talking, some of the family members spread off doing their own thing whilst Edward, Bella, Jacob, Nahuel and I stayed together. Esme was preparing a meal for all the 'humans' whilst Carlisle had to run to the hospital. Alice and Rosalie went to run some errands while Jasper sulked down with Emmett, continuing the superbowl game.

I dressed into something modest for the evening and then came back to a change in topic.

"Do you watch the superbowl games?" Bella asked.

"What is that?" He asked.

"It's the huge game for footballers. Basically, it's like the Olympics but for football." I replied, taking my seat back on Jacob.

I wasn't really a football fan; I was more on the Hockey and Volleyball side. NHL represents!

Nahuel nodded understandingly.

"Nessie here hates the sport." Jake teased.

"I don't hate it. I just don't like seeing sweaty, buff guys on steroids getting demolished by other sweaty, buff guys on steroids." I said.

He just stuck his tongue out, mocking me. I rolled my eyes then turned to my affectionate parents.

"Mom, you freaking stole my top!" I shot up.

She frowned and stared at her outfit.

"What do you mean? Alice bought this for me." I gasped and ran up to her, feeling the fabric of it.

"Are you accusing my wife of stealing?" Edward played along.

"Silky smooth quality," I murmured to myself and gasped. "Mom! You totally stole my outfit,"

"Honey, I swear I didn't. Even if I did, then why is it so bad? We'd be twinsies!"

I widened my eyes. "You did not just say that mother!"

She laughed, twirling the tips of my hair.

"Oh honey, I just did." Bella replied. "Oh by the way, you need to get rid of your Mona Lisa poster. Seriously, I think she looks through my soul!"

"What you need to do is stop snooping around my closet. That's what you need to do." I laughed, making my way back to Jake.

"Um…may I use your bathroom?" Nahuel asked.

"Yeah sure, straight down the hall and turn left." Bella replied.

He nodded and walked off.

"What was that about?"

Edward sighed.

"He looks at you with us and thinks about how that could've been him with his parents. He looks at Bella of how his mother would've been." Edward said.

"So sad," Jake said.

I frowned, staring at the non-existent space he left on his side of the couch then back at the empty air he left, heading to the bathroom. I felt bad for him…

After he returned, I pulled him aside. Jacob frowned at me, but Edward just shook his head at him and he sighed.

"I'm just going to show Nahuel around, okay?" I informed my family. Dad nodded his head approvingly, but he seemed reluctant though.

The moment Nahuel and I stepped out of the house, I shut the door and we began descending the porch steps.

"Sorry about that." I told him as I folded my arms.

"Sorry about what?" He mentioned confusion in his voice. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously, what is it?"

I sighed. "I know about your mother."

He got it quite quickly and heaved a sigh.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled sweetly as we walked through the woods.

"No." I said firmly. "I may not know how you're feeling, because I haven't been in your shoes. But I do know what it's like to feel like you could've killed her. When I was in my mom's womb, I knew I was draining the life out of her and in other ways; I lost my mother too…if my dad wasn't quick enough. He could've lost her too so, I know."

He smiled. "I've grown to accept the fact that she's gone. It's just, I don't feel it's fair though that an innocent life was taken away. And the fact that I lost something that could've been…"

I listened to him intently.

"Every time I look at you with your mother, I ponder on what could've been with her. How beautiful she could've been. Since I was born in the 1850s, I couldn't exactly get a clear picture of Pire as opposed to the advanced times." Nahuel chuckled.

My lips curved slightly.

"Whoa, I just realized, since you were born in the 1850s, you're older than my dad! Heck you're older than Carlisle…I think." I frowned. He laughed. "And I think you're still able to see her. You know what I used to do as an infant when my mom was still essentially 'dead' –which wasn't so long ago. I envisioned how she was when she was human, didn't you at least get a glimpse of her after you were born."

"I don't remember. All I remember was being held by Huilen then everything blacked out after I bit her. I thought she was my mom."

I stared at the gravel ground, kicking a stone to the curve.

"Look. It's not as bad as it looks. Huilen technically is my mother, and she was Pire's sister so at least I have that part of her."

"Bittersweet I guess." I smiled. He smiled back.

"So how's it like being a teenager?" He asked. "I remember how it was like…confusing."

I smiled. "Well it's not that special though. I don't consider myself a teenager too, I just…I know my life isn't going to be normal but I try to make it that way but…yeah, it is confusing."

He shook his head.

"So, your dog…Jacob?" He questioned. I nodded. "He's interesting."

"He's not a dog by the way. But he's great."

"What is he to you? You're not like…together right?" He asked.

My eyes bulged.

"No he's not, that'd practically be incestuous. Jacob's like my brother/best friend/protect/uncle. It seems like he plays a role in every category of my life but nothing in that sense."

Nahuel's eyes seemed strangely hopeful as he nodded his head understanding as we trotted out feet, reaching the river stream and walking over the log.

"Brother huh," He muttered, mostly to himself.

"Why do they call you Nessie?" He asked.

"That's my well…nickname so to speak. I grew up with it."

"Sounds like torture." He said. I gasped and tried pushing him away. "I'm serious, why would your parents name you after a monster? If I'm correct,"

"Jacob actually came up with it. He thought my name was too much of a mouthful so he thought of it."

"Well let me think of one for you…how about, Rennie? Or Nesmee?" it was weird how he was so modernized since he was born in the 19th century.

"Pretty confusing, I like Nessie better than anything else." I told him. He nodded understandingly.

I smiled until I tripped over a rock and began tumbling over, but then I felt strong arms holding me up quickly. I looked up to see Nahuel's dark eyes, staring down at mine, breathing heavily through his nose. I grinned up at him.

"Great reflexes for a hybrid." I laughed drifting my eyes away.

"You're quite clumsy for a hybrid." He stated, still holding me up until I regained my balance before stepping away and placing his arms behind his back.

"Yeah thanks." I giggled. "I get that from my mother. Her human side was a walking time-bomb."

"So you have sisters?" I asked.

"Yep,"

"How was it like finding out that you were not the only one of your kind?" I asked.

"It was soothing to know that I had family. I actually found out about it from my biological father, Joham but I learned later that he wasn't exactly doing it for my benefit. More like he wanted me to join his 'coven' so he could form like a super hybrid clan." He told me.

"So you decided to not get involved?"

"I didn't like his way of living but I still wanted to be close to my sisters." He replied.

"You have three sisters right?"

"Yeah, Maysun, Serena and baby Jenni!" He chuckled. "Jennifer is the youngest so naturally she's the most vulnerable."

"Do they have any special abilities?" I asked.

"Serena and Maysun do…Jennifer and I weren't so lucky in that department." He replied.

"Girl power!" I pointed out.

He chuckled.

"I don't know if I had siblings. Sounds great though," I told him. I gasped. "Did I just say that?"

"Trust me, it's not that great. You're the only male and the oldest, so obviously they'll be bothersome." He said as we reached the clearing.

"I don't know. They seem cute, especially on TV." I told him.

He rolled his eyes.

"The power of visual recreation," He said, turning to me, staring deep into my chocolate brown eyes.

"You cut your hair?" I said at the noticeable difference from his long hair. He chopped it off up until his shoulder.

"Yeah, I needed to look different." He smiled and nodded his head.

His eyes were like lightning, you never know when they'd pop up. But this time, he stared longer, longer than he did before. He seemed intrigued and enticed.

I sort of found it uncomfortable.

"You're so beautiful…" He said slowly.

My cheeks turned scarlet, then I hid my eyes away from his gaze and he soon released a soft awkward chuckle.

"Sorry about that," He apologized. I shook my head, pulling my head to the side as I felt the texture of the plant.

"Forks, seems like a good town." He told me.

"It is! I can't wait to visit here again." I replied.

His eyebrows crumpled up and his eyes rutted, in confusion.

"What do you mean 'visit here again'?" He questioned.

I stared up at him. "Oh yeah, my family and I are relocating soon."

"As in leaving your home?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "Yep,"

As if on cue, my phone buzzed from my pocket. I reached for it in my back pocket and pulled it out to see a text from my dad telling me to return home.

I rolled my eyes.

Of course…

"We better get going." I told Nahuel. "Race ya,"

He laughed.

… …

After saying goodbye to Nahuel, informing us on his departure but promising he'd return or visit us whenever we're around, I ran up to my bedroom to continue with the boxes.

"Hey," Jacob's voice reached my ears. I spun around and gave him a small smile.

"Hey there chief,"

"Once is enough, Ness." He sighed. I laughed. "You're finishing up?" I nodded.

"I'm almost done." I said turning to face him, catching him staring directly at me. I smiled self-consciously and wandered my eyes. "What?"

He shook his head.

"So I'll be heading out, pack meeting before I start packing myself." He laughed.

I sighed.

"You don't have to do this, you know." I told him.

"No. it won't be long, I'll just call up a meeting with my pack, and Sam's pack as well and tell him about my plans. Easy. You'll have me back in no time." He stated, I laughed punching his chest lightly. I loved how Jacob joked around, his wit is quite infectious. He's basically the only one who can cure me from a yearlong funk just by making me laugh.

"No, I mean…" I paused. "I mean everything else. You don't have to move with us. You've got your pack here, your life is here, and your dad needs you as well. I don't get why you just want to throw that away for some vampire family." I tried to reason with him.

He just scoffed, stretching his fingers to curl the tips of my hair. He smiled.

"I wish I could tell you…" He trailed off for a second, drifting into thought maybe. "But actually, I enjoy spending time with your bloodsucking clan."

I widened my eyes.

"If you tell anyone, I'll tickle you to death." He whispered up close. I giggled.

"Aww…we love you too Jakey-Wakey-Pakey!" Emmett exclaimed from downstairs, using my signature nickname I gave him when I turned two –technical.

Jacob sighed, closing his fists together and shutting his eyes.

"I won't exactly enjoy the eavesdropping though." Jake replied, in a gruff tone of voice.

"Sorry buddy!" Emmett replied.

I suddenly slammed myself against Jacob's hard chest and draped my arms around him in a tightened embrace.

"Good thing you're coming with because I don't know what I'd do without you in my life." I murmured against his warm body.

He reciprocated the embrace by wrapping his arms around my neck, pulling close to his body.

"That world is unthinkable, Nessie." He told me.

I smiled. "Good."

"Can I steal her from you, _Jakey_?" Mom teased, standing by the door frame.

Jacob and I stood that way for a couple more seconds before Jacob reluctantly made the departure.

"If you must," Jake sighed.

I smiled.

He planted his lips on my forehead before pulling away and heading for the door.

"Bye mommy," He teased Bella.

"Just go chew a bone!" She scolded, hitting his back and he groaned, flicking her hair before making a run for it.

I laughed.

My mom and Jake had the most iconic friendship you could ever find, I found it intriguing.

Bella smiled at me, before entering the room and standing next to me, helping my pack my essentials in the boxes.

"Are you excited for the big move?" She asked.

"Yeah of course…" I replied. "It's just bittersweet because, well this is the only home I could ever remember and now we're heading to a whole different place."

"Yeah, I get that. It's hard for me too. So many memories were in this town."

"Like the first time you met dad." I smiled.

"The firsts of everything, you know. If it wasn't for this small town, I probably would've been still getting sunburn in Arizona." She laughed. I nodded.

"I can never imagine you tan mom. Please don't even try!"

"Hey, I might wear that for the next Halloween party." She stated. I gasped.

"No!" I exclaimed. She giggled uncontrollably. "Alice better not let you. Or I'll legit sue mom. I'll sue!"

She smiled, and then gasped when she caught something.

"Oh," She cooed, staring down at the picture frame of us on a hunting trip. "Your dad looks so dazed in this picture."

"Well he has you as a wife, so of course he should feel that way."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Sweet,"

I smiled back. "This was my first hunting trip with you guys."

"Our first hunting trip as a family…and Jacob," She joked. "Oh there were some good times. I remember your first kill, you cried the whole night."

"Well I felt guilty that I had to drain that adorable deer. It was brutal mom. It was like his eyes spoke to my heart. Telling me to think twice,"

She smiled. "You always had a soft affectionate side for animals, one of the qualities that made you extra marvelous."

I loved the fact that I was able to be so different with my mom. It wasn't always a mother and daughter bond all the time, we had moments where you'd swear we were sisters. Our bond would be best described as "unbroken sisterhood|".

"You know what your Grandpa Charlie use to say to me. He always told me that he's achieved a few things in his life but I was always his greatest accomplishment." Bella told me. "Now I fully understand it once you were born. You're my greatest accomplishment Nessie,"

I smiled, trying to stop the tears from welling.

"So keep this and your locket close to you in case anything happens to your dad and I. We love you Renesmee, always and forever."

"I love you too." I replied.

We gave each other a warming hug before we continued on packing.

… ….

The next day we were finishing up for the big move. Although we're vampires we'd be done in a flash, we took our time on this since this was where our memories lied.

Most of the Cullen's would leave before any of the others could. My parents would be visiting my granddad, Charlie for a dinner evening, so that's going to be pretty emotional too.

We pulled up the familiar driveway of the Swan household, parking my dad's Volvo next to Charlie's cruiser. Charlie slipped out of the house almost immediately after we pulled up, with a grin so wide you'd swear he was born that way.

Sue Clearwater followed behind him soon after. I smiled.

We all slipped out my dad's car and shut our sides of the door, unhurriedly. I, however, began making my way towards my grandfather a little too eagerly than I should and found myself in the comforting arms that reminded me so much of my mothers.

"Hey there, tiger," Charlie snorted, his face towering over my head.

I smiled, my head placed on his warm chest. I breathed in his scent, so tempting.

Charlie was the first human I encountered, the first human I craved for. Although, Jacob's blood was satisfying –biting him as a toddler felt nice – Charlie was by far the person I found appealing.

But obviously I grew up to understand that I shouldn't harm humans, especially those that mean so much to my family and I.

Charlie was still on the 'need to know' basis, in terms of the vampirism part of the supernatural world. We do occasionally reveal certain aspects to him, but still manage to contain our secret. Like how he found out I was actually the daughter of Bella and Edward, and that I am 'special', thus, my speeding growth, mental capacity, and how I am able to project my thoughts.

And incident occurred about three years ago when I accidently projected my thoughts through him. He freaked out –obviously – so we had to twist the truth a bit. He didn't want to know more because he understood the dangers.

Overall, he's been a true sportsman with everything. We saw him almost once or twice a week, so that's good. Mom was afraid he'd be lonely once she'd left the nest, but seemed like Sue Clearwater kept him occupied. I am happy that he has somebody that can take care of him because according to Bella, he's a lost cause when it came to food.

As we pulled away, I looked up and smiled at him. He returned the gesture.

"Hey dad," Bella's voice came from behind and she came and gave granddad a hug.

"Bella, my lovely child," He greeted warmly.

"I'm your only child." Bella replied with a chuckle and moved over to greet Sue. "Sue, it's great to see you again."

"Same here Bella." She replied.

"Grandma Sue!" I squealed, running up to her and pulling her into a hug. She was stunned for a second.

"Ooh, Renesmee!" she giggled. "Glad to see you're still energetic even though you're growing way too fast."

"I know right." Charlie gasped. "It was just yesterday she was that small girl who loved piggyback rides. Now she's a full grown woman."

I blushed.

"I'm pretty sure she's not too old for those, sir." Edward mentioned. Charlie beamed up when he saw his son in law.

"Edward, how are you doing my son?" Charlie exclaimed, ignoring his hand gesture and pulling him into a fatherly hug.

"I'm great and you, sir?" Dad asked politely as they pulled away.

"Please son. Don't make me feel older than I already am." Charlie stated.

"You're not old Dad." Mom replied. He smiled.

"And Jacob!" Charlie retorted when Jake appeared from behind me, I grinned as I watched my granddad and best friend embrace.

"The food smells great!" Mom said.

I scoffed. Yeah right!

Dad chuckled at my thoughts. I rolled my eyes.

"There's food? Thank god! I'm starving." Jacob commented.

We all laughed.

After being invited into the house, sitting down the dinner table and talking, Sue dished out for us. Of course the people who weren't vampires ate and it wasn't that many so the food didn't go to waste.

We were having full on discussions, sometimes random topics popped up.

After breaking the news to Charlie that the family would be leaving soon, he took it kind of rough but he understood because we were meant to move at some point.

"Need to know, I guess." He laughed. "You'll visit though? The door is always open for a return."

"Of course dad," Bella stated, as if he were crazy to make up that assumption.

"We'll actually be back for the summer and we'll swing by to check on the house now and then so we'll definitely stop by." Edward assured him.

I gave Granddad a smile as reassurance. He exhaled a sigh and nodded his head.

"Alright, I'll miss you guys though. Don't be strangers." He told us. We smiled.

We weren't planning on it.

Before we headed back to the house, Jacob and I stopped by Billy's house for a small pack meeting.

Jacob was now standing in the center about to make the announcement. The elders, Sam's pack and his all in united front.

"As you may all know, the Cullen's have decided it's time to depart from Forks. And given a few circumstances that occurred a few years ago, I think it's safe to say we need some time out from vampires." He joked. I smiled whilst everyone agreed. "Since I've gotten to know the family for quite some time now, I've decided I'd tag along with them."

Half of the people gasped, though, the Elders and pack members didn't seem quite shocked by what he said, instead, they nodded their heads as if they expected much. They darted their heads at me, and I kind of felt confused at that moment.

I didn't understand why Jacob was doing all of this, where he has a huge responsibility. I couldn't make sense of it either. I'd rather him stay here and protect the town then hang out with my vampire family all day.

Although, it'll pain me to not be around my best friend –no, it'll be unbearable, the most terrible feeling of my life. But I knew the difference between responsibilities and will. His will was to leave his hometown but his responsibility is to stay.

I can't help but feel guilty that I'm depriving him from his family, his friends…his life.

"I know. There's so much to do, and it won't be easy just leaving you all this way. If I had any other choice, I would but I don't." Jake said. "In my absence though, I'd like to leave my main beta in charge. Leah Clearwater, will be temporary alpha whilst I'm gone. So, I'm expecting you'll all follow her orders."

Leah looked embarrassed though as all the guys chuckled.

"Seth would be acting beta so…" He continued on but I just tuned him out as I got up from my seat on the log and made my way into the house.

I could hear another heartbeat following behind me, and the shrilling sound of the wheels drew my attention. I spun around to see the eyes that were so identical to Jake's.

"Oh, hey Billy," I smiled weakly with my arms crossed. He returned the smile.

Billy was a sweet guy, at first I found him intimidating but he sort of grew on more or the other way around. He reminded me of an older, wiser Jacob and I enjoyed his company. He always gave me life lessons, and he taught me how to make a mean beef jerky so you'd consider him a pretty cool person.

"You okay? You seemed a little off." Billy told me.

"I'm fine, it's just…" I paused, turning my head to see the gang laughing at what Jake mentioned. "I don't know why he's doing this, putting his entire life on hold, just for a family of vampires."

"He's not just doing it for your family, Ness." He told me. There was a deep meaning behind what he said though.

I frowned. "Who else is he doing it for?"

"Look, all I'm saying is. He made a decision which his sticking by with. I think we all need to respect that." Billy asserted, straying away from the main topic.

I nodded my head.

"How are you dealing with this? Losing your only son to a bunch of vampires?" I questioned.

He chuckled, though, it seemed questionable.

"I'm certainly not celebrating profusely. But Jacob's a mature young man, and he'll have to make mature decisions. He was meant to leave the nest at some point, so I was prepared." He smiled.

"At least you've still got Rachel." I shrugged.

"And Paul, though I'm not entirely thrilled about him filching all my food." He sighed. I giggled.

"I guess you'll have to deal with the imprint as well. Good thing he's the only one claiming your child through an imprint." I laughed, staring at the picture of Rachel and Paul on the fridge door.

Billy waited a while to answer.

"If only you truly knew," He mumbled inaudibly, although with my vampire side, I could hear perfectly.

What did he mean?

A familiar scent reached my nostrils; I tilted my head to see Jacob standing by the door grinning at me. I smiled back.

Billy wheeled away, patting Jacob on the shoulder, before leaving.

Jake sighed.

"You ready?" Jake asked.

I nodded my head.

_**Ready as I'll ever be**_…

… …

Today was any other day, normal as it'll ever be, and although this time we'll be in a different state. I woke up this morning with a new feeling…a new start.

I stared at my childhood home, my childhood hometown, before the final shut of the door.

Everyone slipped into the various cars and we headed over to the airport. When we reached there, we dropped the cars in storage.

My mind was spiraling; I didn't know things have shifted until I found myself seated on the airplane seat.

_**The flight California state while commence shortly, all passengers fasten your seatbelts…**_ the flight attendant stated through the megaphone.

I knew then that the moment was real. Things were real.

This was real…

"You're not nervous are you?" Jacob asked in concern as he fastened his seatbelt beside me.

I smiled. "No."

"Good." He replied.

It wasn't a full lie. I was excited for this venture. I was determined to make the most of it. I was determined to live a normal life as a teenager.

Starting with getting through high school…

This was going to be a great year!

Or was it…

… …

**A/N: Hey lovely readers! Wow! Um…I haven't updated in over a year – that I'm aware of – but that is because I had a massive case of the year writers' block. I have been taking a yearlong break from my twilight stories to venture in other avenues of writing, and something else that contributed was my busy schedule e.g. school finals, college etc. but things are shaping up. **

**Stephanie finally decided to write another story however, I'm not quite thrilled. Although I like the thought of gender swapping, I'd much rather read that on fanfiction and have her continue Midnight Sun or continue on Renesmee's story. That's what everyone really wants! **

**Back to the chapter: Thoughts? The Cullen's moving? Nahuel and Renesmee? Jacob and Renesmee? Who do y'all like better? Review! **

**Will be updating this story more if I can but I won't take another hiatus Lol. **

**So anyway, back to the business, tell me what you think of this chapter by reviewing and follow and favorite if you'd like me to continue!**


	3. Chapter 3: First Day

**RENESMEE'S POV**

_Running. Running so fast, I'd probably give the spotted cat a run for its money._

_I seemed to have been doing well but I did one crucial mistake… _

_I spun around and I was met by glowing red eyes before my life flashed before my eyes…_

I felt a warm hand rub my arm lightly, immediately causing my eyelids to involuntary ajar.

"Hey, sunshine," Jacob's sweet, hoarse voice reached my ears.

I groggily sat up right and rubbed my forehead.

"For a two hour _**first class**_ flight, you certainly do sleep." Jake teased with a light chuckle. I rolled my eyes.

"Very funny…" I told him. I swept the belt away from my body. "Spending long hours packing really takes its toll on somebody,"

"Even on a vampire hybrid?" He whispered. I giggled.

"Even on a vampire hybrid." I repeated.

"You guys need to get your luggage before we head out." Bella told us from the opposite seats where she sat next to my dad.

"Oh shush Bella! This is so exciting!" Alice chipped in unexpectedly from behind. I laughed. "I can see the Hollywood boulevard from here!"

"Alice, we can fully understand your dire need to shop right now but don't you think we'd need to see the new house first?" Edward chuckled, obviously reading her mind.

Alice just squealed, obviously thinking more about shopping.

The flight hostess told the passengers that we'd have to wait for another 20-30 minutes for the pilots to recuperate themselves and sort out some technical issues before we dispersed out of the plane.

When the time came, my heart literally skipped a beat because this would finally mean that I have left my hometown. It's a surreal moment for me.

When I stepped off the final step and stood in front of the LAX airport, I couldn't help but stare at the scenery and breathe in the air of the Californian breeze.

"Here we are…California!" Alice grinned widely, her arms wrapped around her husband's waist.

"Don't you think we'd feel slightly more…empowered?" Mom questioned with a sigh.

Bella was the one who took the move harder than anybody else in the family. She'd not only miss her dad and everyone else, but she'd miss the fact that that's where her life literally began. It was where she came across supernatural creatures like vampires and werewolves, where she met the Cullens, where she met Jacob and the pack but most of all…where she met my dad. I wouldn't be surprised if she was a little bummed out.

"Oh come on people! We're all pros here! It's not like it's the first time we moved." Alice stated.

"Alice, don't be an idiot." Emmett chimed.

"Emmett…" Esme scolded.

"Okay…I hope we're all ready." Carlisle began. "There'll be a cab picking us up to take us to the new house!"

Everyone squealed and applauded in excitement.

Maybe this wasn't so bad after all…

As if on cue, a huge chromed ride pulled up. You could swear it was a mixture of a van and a limo! It was real classy.

We were on the road for about 45 minutes.

Whilst heading to our destination, we passed by a few awesome places like, Long Beach, Six Flags, and went over the Golden Gate Bridge. I thought then that our new home would be in San Francisco but then the driver made a turn to a different route.

I looked out to see a sign that said…

Welcome to Oakland Woods…

It reminded me a lot of Forks in a way, with all the greenness, the countless trees and the one-routed roads but then it soon shifted when we saw things clearer. It was definitely beautiful, maybe even more so than Forks but it still didn't feel like home to me.

The neighborhood seemed like the typical suburban neighborhood. Huge two-three story modernized houses, with white picket fences and gardens that were to die for.

It felt lively compared to the dullness of Forks, however, it still managed to seem quiet.

I thought then and there that this will be where we'd be living but then the driver had to make yet another turn and went up a huge steep that kept getting bigger and bigger every time.

The never-ending stopped when we were met by a sight of a mansion, per se. It was massive, more massive than the one back in Forks.

"So this is it?" Jake asked.

"Yep," Edward replied.

"Crazy…" He hummed, looking out the window.

I laughed.

He can definitely say that again.

The driver pulled up huge driveway and we all jumped out of the car. The second cab pulled up from behind us with my uncles, aunts and grandparents in it.

I was still completely stunned at the scenery. The house was surrounded by Riparian trees, and dark hedges. It was almost too majestic to even believe, even in the fall season.

The mansion was vast and intimidating. A cobblestone walkway leading to the entrance was clear in our way. The porch steps were ceramic instead of the wooden kind we had before, although it did seem that they tried to make it seem so with the brown color. The house itself stood to be 600 hundred square meters, almost to the point even a warehouse can fit in.

"Wow, Carlisle and Esme, you certainly don't joke about going big." Emmett pointed out.

Carlisle and Esme smiled at their happy family.

"Why don't we see the rest of the house, shall we?" Carlisle told us.

I took in a deep breath and shut the door lightly. The anticipation was quite overwhelming.

The moment we entered the house, I'd swear everyone was taken aback. My breath was taken away and I could even swear Esme and Alice struggling to breathe as well –even though they didn't need too.

The house was indescribable, literally indescribable, like I had no words!

"Same here, sweetheart," Dad murmured, his eyes staring up at the ceiling which seemed impeccably high to reach, even as the huge golden/crystal chandelier descended from it.

My eyes wandered to the two separate staircases that leaded up to…another set of staircases?

I loved how enchanting it looked though, the way the lightly painted tiles and steps complimented each other.

"Esme, you have outdone yourself and we haven't even seen the whole house yet." Bella gasped.

"This isn't a house, t-this is a resort!" I stated, my voice slightly echoing throughout the place.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Rosalie told me as she went into a different room. I chuckled, still amazed.

The open room we saw was pretty huge, platinum walls and delicate artwork everywhere. It was a fully furnished room, which you'd swear came out straight from a palace –which in truth, this house really is. Out of nowhere, a huge 75 inch screened TV suddenly appeared as it came out from the mahogany wall.

I gasped, glaring at Jacob who was just as stunned as I was.

"This is awesome!" He retorted, jumping up and down like a giddy 5 year old boy.

"So this must be the living room." I whispered.

"There's also a home theater room downstairs." Carlisle told us.

"There's another floor!" I bellowed at my grandparents, whipping my head at them.

"3 and a half floors, give or take." He shrugged it off.

I wheezed. "Wow,"

We continued on the journey through the massive place as we looked at the dining area, the beautiful kitchen that had two islands, the never ending hall that lead different rooms such as the five bathrooms and a second living room!

"Look, Rosalie. I have so many ideas of where we can do it next." Emmett retorted happily as he motioned to every piece of this house.

I can't even fathom how grossed out I was.

It took probably about two hours to get through the house before getting to the bedrooms. There were about five bedrooms and three guest bedrooms which meant eight in total. Crazy but yeah!

When I got to a room that had Nessie engraved on the door, I immediately unfurled the door and entered into the room, and I was gobsmacked.

If I could be any more astonished than I already was, this might've just been the cherry on the 6 foot cake. My room was huge! I didn't even know I needed so much space before. My large queen size bed seemed small in this place.

I noticed I had multiple doors in the room so I decided to enter the first on, to see my very own en suite bathroom. I then entered the other to see a place where all my recreational and sporting equipment was placed. Definitely my storage space!

The final double doors led me to a huge area where I was met with thousands and thousands of clothing, labelled clothing, and shoes that were out of this world. I noticed that I had a table in this room, I didn't know what that was quite for but my final thought would be…

This was my closet.

I sighed, leaving the room and heading out to the large window. I opened up to see that my room had a balcony, which overlooked the glorious view of the nature and city.

"Wow, some room you have here!" I heard the familiar husky voice reach my ears.

I spun around to see my favorite wolf walking up to me. I laughed.

"Yeah," I scoffed at his statement.

"Definitely bigger than my house," He chuckled.

"Don't say that," I said sadly.

"Oh no worries, this is what I'd expected from the Cullen's." He told me.

"I don't," I told him. He furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't want to say that this is too much but it's definitely a lot to take in."

"Carlisle and Esme only want what's best for the family. You know that." He told me.

"Yeah but we're not expanding any time soon." I laughed.

His smile fell for a second but he nodded his head and managed to laugh.

"I guess." He shrugged. "I love how Alice has managed to stock up clothes that would last a lifetime for you guys. Good thing you don't get fat."

I giggled.

"How's your closet?"

"Actually, I don't have a closet…or a room in this house." He told me.

I frowned. "I'm confused. Aren't you staying with us?"

He shook his head. "No, your parents thought that since I wouldn't exactly be comfortable in a house filled with vampires that prey on human blood, they decided to offer me an apartment downtown."

I widened my eyes. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, yeah, I was just as surprised as you were." He told me. "It's definitely not as gaudy as this place, but it'll be okay."

I smiled. "Oh well, it would've been nice to have one fellow heartbeater in the house but I'm happy for you. You better visit."

"Of course, babe," He grinned widely at me, showcasing his perfect rows of teeth.

I couldn't help the light flush on my cheeks and I hid my gaze away from him. I felt his lips on my forehead and his hand stroking my hair.

We were immediately pulled aback when the door unfurled and Jasper popped his head in.

"You guys better come on down, there's one more surprise."

I frowned.

There's more?

We found ourselves standing in front of the four garages in the driveway.

"This present is mostly for Jacob from Bella and me," Edward pointed out. Jake frowned in confusion. "We thought you'd need something to get around with," He added, throwing him a set of keys.

The one garage door opened and there stood a gorgeous, shiny black BMW Z4 series 2015 edition.

"That's mine?" Jake asked. My parents nodded their heads. "Oh man, just kill me now!"

"I volunteer as tribute!" Rosalie raised her hand.

Jake ignored her and hopped up and down like a schoolgirl over to his car, eying it like a crazy mugger.

"Give it a test drive before we regret getting it for you, mongrel!" Edward stated. Bella punched his stomach.

Jake just laughed and hopped into the vehicle.

"Nessie, you coming?" He questioned.

"No. You have fun!" I told him.

He smiled then eagerly started the car and was off, giving it the test drive he'd always wanted.

"When will I get a car?" I said, eying my parents who hid away from my glare. I sighed.

"You, young lady have to unpack and prepare for school tomorrow!" Bella whispered sternly, but her excited couldn't be contained. "It's your first day in High School!"

"As a junior!" I squealed.

Junior year here I come!

… …

I sat on the waiting chair, with my legs crossed, swaying my left leg. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I took it out to see my mom's caller ID. I sighed.

"Mom, three calls on my first day is a little overdoing it." I giggled, giving a slight roll of the eye as I listened to my dearest mother's excited voice.

"Ooh! I'm so excited for you! I remember my first day –quite horrible but…" She began ranting on. I sighed.

"Mom…"

Okay, okay sweetheart. I know where I'm overstepping." She sighed. I frowned. "Have you got everything?"

I rummaged through my bag. "Everything except my pencil, oh god, I didn't actually forget my pencil."

"Why don't you lend one from one of your new friends – who I'm pretty sure you'll make in an instant!" She added.

"We'll see…" I giggled. I looked up to see the –presumably principal – walking up to me.

"Remember honey, first days aren't always the best. But it always gets better. Call me when you've made it in okay, keep your phone on you all the time, remember not to let anything slip up that will expose you and the family. Oh, and I almost forgot, be careful who you interact with, but be friendly. Oh and don't forget to tell me about the cute boys-"

"Okay, okay. Um…I gotta go. Love you," I told her as I got up from the seat on the bench when the principal stood in front of me.

"Love you too. Be safe-" I hung up before she could finish off the sentence and grinned up at the frayed out man with an aging scalp, with smooth-edged spectacles creased above his sharp nose where you could half-notice his aquatic blue eyes.

"_Ms. Cullen_?" He greeted, extending his fragile hand out to me. I took it gladly and gave it a slight shook. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, sir." I told him. He slightly gasped, hearing the ring to my voice. I had to be careful about that.

"So, Seattle, Washington is where you grew up?" He asked, escorting me out of the office.

"No, actually, I grew up in Forks, Washington. But it isn't far from Seattle though." I replied, truthfully but I knew the questions would roll in and I'd have to twist the truth.

"You were born where, if I may ask?" The middle-aged man questioned. He didn't look so bad for a man who was presumably in his late 50s.

"Idaho, then I lived in New Hampshire for about four years after my birth. We moved around a lot, basically." I lied smoothly.

"Well, hopefully Oakland Woods will be your final stop for a while." He told me. I smiled as we passed by classes.

He kept talking, however, I tuned out on him after that. I couldn't possibly believe that I'd be starting out in a new school. Sure, this is what I suggested a while back since my aging began to stop but I never thought it'd be so surreal.

It was fun learning from my father, mom, Grampa Carlisle and Jasper but, I wanted to have every teenage experience

"Class, this is our new student, Ruh-nez-may Cullen." I suddenly heard as we entered a new room. "I trust you'll all do your best to make her feel welcome. Close your mouth, Mr. Peterson,"

Principal Philips turned to me, giving me a slight smile and a rub of the shoulders, sneaking a glimpse at the teacher before stepping aside and leaving the room.

I stood there, holding my books against my chest and my bag pack dangling off my shoulders as I stared at the class.

My family had warned me that students had a tendency of wondering their eyes at new students, especially if the students were pale, beautiful creatures like my family.

However, I thought it'd be a few wandering eyes not in the state I was currently in, all heads darted at me, except for the young girl with freckles who had her attention on her novel –thank god!

But then she suddenly decided to lift her head up to find out what the commotion was. I mentally rolled my eyes.

Now this feeling was uncompromising. When was it going to end?!

I finally decided to let my legs function as I began waltzing over to an open seat at the back of the class. I didn't try to pay attention to the lingering stares and whispers among others.

As I reached my seat, I sank into the seat and placed my books on the table, gripping them in agony. I avoided any stares that were on me except for one.

"Here," I heard a sweet –yet virile– voice, reach my ears. I looked up to see a boy with ocean blue eyes and dark locks, stretching his hand out that carried a small notebook and a No. 2 pencil. I frowned slightly before giving him a smile and took them gladly.

"Thanks," I replied.

He smiled back before turning back in his chair.

I stared down at the items then back at him.

How did he know I needed that?

… …

After my first few periods, I waltzed over to my locker that I received not so long ago. I smiled at the thought that I'd finally have my own locker with my own locker combination. I never had that, only a desk and a dresser to keep all my necessary textbooks –which I hardly used any way.

"Those shoes are absolutely stellar!" I heard a syrupy voice reach my ears from behind me. I spun around to see a short girl –probably 5`5, with long golden beige blonde hair and hazel-crystal blue eyes – stand before me in a beautiful coffee sleeved blouse, with a checkered skirt, accessorized with a leather belt and six inch black wedges.

"Um…thanks," I replied with a huge grin.

"Where did you get them?" She asked, her eyes fully engrossed on my heels.

"My aunt owns a boutique back at my hometown." I told her truthfully.

Alice opened up a boutique about a year after I was born. It was such a shame she had to close it down before the big move, but she gave me some of the clothes so I guess it was a win-win.

"And you are my new best friend!" The girl giggled before hands wrapped around her waist. "Hey, Hunter!" she smiled.

I could vaguely overhear talks coming from the other side whilst trying to pay attention to the new people I met.

"Can someone tell me how the new girl has been here over five minutes and she's already hanging out with Felicity Stone's clique?" A young girl with dark skin whispered to someone.

"She's hot! Beautiful people herd together," The scrawny boy from my English class said to me.

"So there's this party this weekend. The whole school's invited except for the freshmen. They don't get that status just yet." Felicity giggled as her boyfriend –Hunter – nibbled her neck.

"A party?" I asked.

"Yeah – Friday night, you should make a scene." Hunter told me.

He seemed like the epitome of a typical jock so to say. Spikey dirty blonde hair, pale emerald eyes –which you'd swear were blue in the daylight but thanks to my heightened eyesight I could see it perfectly –, slightly tall probably 5`11, and a lean build.

"I can't. I've got this thing with my family this Friday, thanks though." I replied.

"Oh come on! Everyone's going there after the scrimmage." Felicity urged. I smiled.

"Wait! You mean like football?" I asked.

"Football's a joke here in Oakland. The sport played here is hurling. We've one the state championships for three years in a row." Hunter replied proudly.

"I think it's because of one certain team captain!" Felicity stated, grinning widely at Hunter, giving him the heart eyes yet looking completely proud.

He shrugged his shoulders, his cheeks flushing lightly.

"Well, we have practice in 10 minutes. That's if you don't have any place to be…" Hunter trailed off.

"Well, I was actually –"

"Great! So you're coming," Felicity grinned at me before she and her boyfriend parted ways from me.

I blinked at them before turning back to my locker. I shut it then spun my head around to see the familiar blue eyes I saw back at my English class. He was staring right at me as he placed his book in his locker, standing next to who I assumed was Luke.

I grinned widely, adjusting the handle of my back. He smiled back with a crooked smile that I had never seen before –including my dad's.

I nodded my head before walking away.

… …

Felicity and I found ourselves taking our seats on the bleachers on the field a few minutes after just meeting each other. It was sort of weird actually. I didn't think I'd make friends that quickly. I guess I had to start believing my mom took Aunt Alice's ability for the day.

The team was huddling up to the coach –who I think they called Flak.

"I know scoring some shots will give you boys a confidence boost. Get you laid on some odd day but it's a first day back thing. Get 'em energy in!"

"What is the whole point of Hurling anyway?" I asked Felicity as I stared at the junior team getting prepped.

"It's basically baseball, hockey, golf and lacrosse all rolled in one.

"Who is that guy?"

"Um…that's Justin Mazzola, captain of the dweebs club. Why?" Felicity chuckled, her eyes still focused on Hunter.

"He's in my English class."

As if on cue, Justin turned to glance at my way. I gave him a slight smile but then widened my eyes when a ball hit straight to his face.

"Nice face-catch Mazlow!" Hunter laughed, causing the entire gang to chuckle as well.

Justin sighed, twirling his stick and jogging up to the first line.

The practice began and the guys started by firing shots at the goalie. Hunter about made every shot, however, seemed like Justin caught up with him.

I smiled almost at every shot he made.

"He's seems like a really good player." I whispered to her as Justin made his sixth shot.

"Very good…" Felicity scoffed, almost in shock.

The next was the defense and offense practice. Where two players cover the goalie, defending the post and the player has to get through them. Coach Flak puts it as two-on-ones.

Hunter made it through the defenders and slightly made it through the post. Felicity got up and clapped her hands, waving me to follow suit. I smiled.

Justin however, literally flew over the players by landing a backflip over their heads and running at the goalie, giving a massive throw and making it through the net –literally through the net when an open mark appeared.

I smiled and applauded him.

"Did you see that?" I questioned. She grinned, her feet stretched and soaring up and down.

Hunter gave her a stern glare; I could even hear a slight snarl down his throat. Felicity shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes at him.

I rolled my eyes.

California certainly had characters.

… …

As soon as school rolled out, I said goodbye to everyone I met today before leaving the building with a smile on my face. My first day wasn't quite what I'd expected to be. California has some really courteous people and some…not so much.

I wandered my eyes around the overcrowded area, looking for the familiar Volvo that belonged to my dad. Even though we left Forks, my dad would never leave his pride and joy.

I frowned when there was no car in sight.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and answered it.

"Uh, dad, where are you?" I told him off.

"It's nice to be compared to your dad. I feel so honored." I heard a burly voice –that certainly didn't belong to my dad.

"Jake!" I questioned. I lifted my head, skimming through the teeming group of people to see a large figure leaning against a BMW Z4 series.

I gasped to see that it was Jacob's car and I found my legs springing over to him.

I crashed myself against his chest and felt the vibrations of his body as he laughed.

"Nessie," He whispered against my head as he planted his lips on there with his arm draped around my shoulder.

"I-I thought dad was going to pick me up!" I gasped, staring up into his dark brown eyes. "Not that I'm not completely stoked to see you!"

"Well, I used this time to go job hunting. I need to pay for my new apartment and tuition fees somehow." He laughed.

"My family has got that covered. You know that Jake." I told him. He sighed.

"I don't want to be living off a wealthy family, Ness. I'm not some charity case," He replied with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"So?" I asked, wanting to get the feedback on his job searching.\

"Well. I mean…" He paused, staring at the distance. "You're looking at a new mechanic at Rowdy's Auto shop!"

I gasped, jumping up and down in uncontained excitement. "Oh, Jake!"

He laughed.

"Yeah, I managed to get the job without an education because of my badass knowledge about cars but the degree will help a lot." He told me.

"I'm really happy for you, Jake." I told him truthfully.

"Thank you, Ness." He smiled, stroking my hair. "Well let me get you home before your dad loses his mind. I think that would help so many people."

I laughed and then we hopped into the car and left the school.

"How was your first day?"

"It was decent. People are very welcoming…" I replied.

"But?" He questioned.

I smiled.

He knew me all too well.

"Well no problems here, it's just…Californians are definitely different." I told him.

"Maybe it's because you haven't exactly interacted with that many humans before. They're probably pretty normal when you've been around them all the time."

I shrugged. "I guess,"

… …

I knocked on the door that was slight ajar.

"Come in Nessie," He replied.

I unfurled the door and tiptoed my way in to see my dad reading a thick book with his legs lounged on the table.

"How are you, _daddy_?" I grinned.

"Oh no, what do you want now, _**Renesmee?**_" He questioned, his eyes still focused on the screen.

"Why would you automatically think I want something?" I questioned, feeling completely offended and insinuated.

"Well the last time you called me 'daddy' was when you were three/10. Now for the past four years, you've only used the phrase occasionally when you, well, want something." He told me, finally turning on his seat and focusing his attention on me. "Oh, you also conveniently wear your cute teddy bear pajama top that certainly lost its panache four years ago."

I sighed.

The big guy got me!

"I always do sweetheart," He told me, reading my mind.

I inhaled a deep breath before trotting over to my dad, situating myself on his comfortably stoned lap. I draped my arms around his neck and grinned widely.

"How was your day?" I asked him.

"Great and how was yours, sweetheart?" He said –looking slightly amused at my current stance.

"It was great! School was the best experience ever. I met a few friends, so it was certainly a good day." I said honestly.

"That's really great, sweetheart but let's cut to the chase." He began seriously.

I smiled. "So, there's this party this Friday –"

"No." He said, before I could continue.

"Oh come on dad! You're the one who encouraged me to make friends, and this will definitely be a stepping stone for that." I tried to reason with him.

"Yes but not when there's a group of teenagers, that are unsupervised and under the influence of alcohol." He stated, listing all the disadvantages.

"Yes. I know but haven't I proved to be a good girl for the past seven years?"

He contemplated for a second, practically almost tanking before saying,

"Will there be boys?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah sure dad, this is a party filled with nuns that will remain celibate for the rest of their lives!" I laughed. He narrowed his eyes at me. "Not the pressing issue here!"

"Even if I would let you go. Your dad would say no." He replied.

"Actually she agreed that this could be a chance to have a human experience. And how am I supposed to have a human teenage experience if I don't go to parties?" I pointed out.

"I don't think that gives you the authority to argue with me, young lady." He stated playfully as he pinched my nose, pulling me off his lap.

I pouted.

My mother walked into the study and saw us looking quite flustered.

"What are you guys talking about?" Bella asked.

"Dad doesn't want me to go to the party!" I retorted, motioning to my dad.

Bella sighed, eying her husband.

"Did you know about this?" Edward questioned.

"Look. Edward, I think this may be good for her to get out." Bella told him. Edward glared. "And by get out, I mean having fun with teenagers her age, not stuck inside a house filled with 19th century vampires."

"She's six!" He exclaimed.

"In theory," Bella laughed. "She's turning seven in two weeks so basically she already has the right of passage."

Edward sighed, tilting his head at me.

"Sweetheart, your dad is at a phase where he's finding it hard to accept that you're a woman now. That'll you'll be making decisions of your own soon." Mom said to me as she stroked my hair.

I turned to my dad.

Maybe it was unreasonable of me to lash out at my dad.

"Dad…" I sighed, resting my hand on his shoulder. "I told you before that, I'll always be your little girl. But…I also have to make decisions of my own. I know I'll mess up at some point but at least I'd always learn from my mistakes, I mean isn't that what you and mom taught me."

Edward slightly grinned up at me, grabbing my hand and giving it a slight squeeze.

"I know." He said. "Fine, you can go."

I literally squealed and made a little jump.

"Thank you, thank you!" I stated, throwing my arms around his neck and showering him with kisses on his temple. He laughed.

"Okay, now go to bed before I change my mind." He said.

I made another squeal, turning to my mom and giving her a high-five.

"Piece of cake," We both said in unison before a left the room.

"We certainly raised a good one, didn't we?" I heard my mom whisper to my dad.

"Yeah we did…"

I smiled.

I had the best parents in the world.

… …

I was currently driving through the darkness in my dad's Volvo, heading to the quick store to get my favorite chocolate bar…Caramello.

I know it's crazy to hop into a car to get a chocolate bar but, it wasn't that crazy in my case. Caramello's were nothing short of a miracle. I don't enjoy human food much, but chocolate and my dad's favorite omelets are the exception.

I was listening to my favorite playlist. I still had my dad's music in my new iPod, so that's an upside.

I was enjoying the music –that was until I took my eyes off the road to change the song and found myself bumping into a hard figure. I gasped and lifted my head to see that the hard figure was actually a person!

"Oh my god!" I shrieked, pulling the seatbelt off my body and leaping out of the car and running over to the scene.

There, laid on the ground was the boy I met at school yesterday.

Justin Mazzolla…

"Ahh!" He groaned, wincing in immense pain.

I threw my hands over my mouth in shock. I couldn't help the panic to stir up in me and the tears to well up. What if I killed him?

"I didn't see you there. I'm so sorry! I took my eyes off the road for, like, two seconds to change the song on my phone and I bummed into you! Oh god! We need to call an ambulance; you need to see the doctor! What if you broke your rib or…you have a mental deficiency!" I bawled out, as I stared down at the unconscious boy –well he wasn't unconscious but I wouldn't know!

"It's okay, it's okay…it's okay!" He tried to calm me down, automatically sitting up.

"No it's not! I could've killed you!" I shouted.

"I-I…" He stammered, staring into my eyes. "I'm fine."

I frowned, not quite believing him.

"Are you sure?"

He laughed weakly. "Yeah, it's just like falling off a skateboard."

"How is almost getting killed like falling off a skateboard?" I managed to giggle.

He shrugged. "I guess not,"

I smiled, extending my hand to him. He took it and I helped him up.

"I'm really sorry, though. I'm never usually like this." I laughed, wiping the tears that fell off my cheek.

"Like what?" The hazel-blue eyed boy said to me.

"I just acted like a total girl-freak!" I giggled.

"But you are a girl." Justin told me.

"But I'm definitely not that type." I said.

"What kind of girl are you?" He questioned.

"Definitely stronger than that," I chuckled, threading my fingers through my long hair. "At least I thought I was."

"I'd freak out too. In fact, I'd probably drive to suicide. I'm probably the epitome of boy-freak if you ask me." He laughed, giving out a cute dimple.

"Yeah sure, I'd believe that when I see it." I told him off.

He gave me the familiar crooked smile I found out he had yesterday.

Justin looked cool for a human. I mean, I haven't really interacted with any human guys before. Well besides the wolves but they're pretty much all the same to me. Humans are different, not as beautiful but people stood out a lot.

Like Justin…

He was pretty tall for one, maybe 5`12 or 6`. His eye color really complemented his bushy eyebrows, his dark auburn hair had curls that were pretty thick –I could compare them to my grandpa's. He was completely rugged, certainly craggier than most teenagers yet slimmer than someone in their 20s –someone like Jacob. Although he had good looks, he had a dorky/quirky side to him that was pretty prominent.

"Where you headed?" He asked.

"I was actually heading out to buy myself some chocolate. Those are my ultimate guilty pleasures." He laughed at that. "What are you doing in the dark?"

"Midnight jog. I find it more soothing and reserved than morning jogs."

"And also dangerous…" I pointed out.

He hummed, nodding his head.

"I see that now,"

I immediately felt bad. "You know, I terribly am sorry about that."

He laughed and shook me off.

"We're good. I'm fine, like I said, like falling off a skateboard." He said with a sigh.

"Okay I'll stop if you stop saying that." I stated and he just chuckled. "You'll be okay, getting home?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I live a few blocks from here."

I nodded.

I began walking back to my car.

"So um – I was thinking – I mean – are you really having family night tomorrow night, because I was wondering if you'd like to go to the party with me." He asked me.

"As in…like a date?" I asked.

"No, I mean, I thought I'd show you around, give us a chance to get to know each other." He smiled.

I frowned. "Family night was a total lie, you know?"

"So I'm going to go out on a limp here and take that as a yes, you'll go?" He laughed.

I thought for a second. I did need a tour guide and why not make a new friend in the process. I grinned at him.

"Absolutely," I replied.

His smile grew almost immediately after that. I giggled and unfurled the door.

"See you soon, Renesmee," He told me.

"Bye, Justin," I answered and then hopped back into the car.

I watched him disappear before pulling off and heading to the store.

… …

**A/N: There you have it folks! This chapter gave a little insight in Renesmee's new life. Her first day at a new town, first day at a new school, first friends she'd made and maybe even her first crush…hmm? Tell me what you think of the OC. Do you like them? Hate them? Don't care?**

**I had a lot of inspiration for this chapter.**

**Justin…um, yeah, he's definitely someone important in the story but not exactly in the way you think. Renesmee and Jake are still OTP and last chapter was not the last time you saw of Nahuel…**

**Thank you to all the supporters out there! I love you! **

**Review, follow and favorite!**


	4. Chapter 4: First Party

**A/N: Thank you all for the overwhelming amount of support in the previous chapter! I had more than 20 reviews! That's crazy for my stupid story lol. So like, I just want to clear the air that Nahuel will be back, but I just want to explore the Cullen's transition before tackling the deep stuff.**

**Also, the name of the town 'Oakland Woods' is a fictional town I created. Although, Oakland does exist, it isn't exactly in there. **

**I am glad all of you love Justin (well most of you do). I'll be bringing in more characters in this chapter and the chapters that follow.**

**(Ooh, check out my friend's stories. She writes the best twilight stories I've ever read. 'Butterflywhisperer')**

**Enjoy!**

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

When the scrimmage ended, Felicity went on to congratulate her boyfriend in the only way she knew how –making out with him on the center of the field. The scrimmage wasn't what I'd thought it'd be. I haven't ever witnessed Hurling played on the field; actually, I haven't heard of hurling ever being in America –since it was an Irish game. But it seemed really cool nonetheless. It was like watching the edginess of lacrosse, hockey and baseball but the aggressiveness of football.

Winning the game against Sunset High seemed pretty easy and the school would be celebrating it at a party over Hunter Hamilton's house.

This wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for Justin Mazzola's winning goal. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be celebrating. The members of team were raving about this, Hunter, not so much…

Heading back home to prepare for the party couldn't have been quicker. I mean, that must've been the idea of going to my first high school party talking but, I couldn't wait to go to the party.

"Hello, sweetheart," Mom greeted me, the moment I entered the house. "How was the scrimmage?"

"Now's not the time to talk mom," I told her as I walked passed her and ran full speed straight to my room.

I heard a gush of wind and my mother appeared a second later.

"I have to pick a great outfit for the party tonight," I told her as I began rummaging through my closet.

"Oh honey, just wear something sophisticated and simple. You'll look beautiful either way," She told me.

I scoffed. "Yeah mom, sophisticated and simple isn't exactly my greatest pursuit." I sighed, sighing in frustration when I couldn't find anything. "I wish -Alice –"

"Did someone ask for my assistance?" Alice's voice reached us suddenly. I looked up to see her standing on the doorframe.

"Yeah, um…I can't seem to find the perfect outfit for tonight's party." I told her. "So I was hoping you'd help me?"

"Alice, please tell her that whatever she wears she'll look perfect in." Bella laughed at me as she turned to her sister-in-law.

"Of course I'll help you, Nessie!" Alice squealed, running up to me and completely ignoring my mom's presence.

"So let's see what you can wear…" Alice breathed in, searching through my outfits.

"Literally everything," I stated with a giggle.

"Okay, I've laid out a couple of outfits for occasions like this. Oh who am I kidding, you'll be invited to a whole lot of parties in the future. I can see it!" Alice squeaked. I giggled at my aunt.

Alice and I looked through the series of clothes, finding the perfect one that will complement tonight's party. It was just a crazy in and outdoor high school party. I'm pretty sure people won't be wearing cocktail dresses and all of that jazz. So basically a simple yet elegant getup would suffice.

"Nessie, if I remember correctly, you're not one for material things. Especially when it came to clothing,"

"Well mother, this is a different situation."

"Oh Bella, your daughter wasn't always meant to follow your footsteps!" Alice added. I smiled.

Mother rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm okay with that. But the sudden interest is a little questionable…does it have to do with a guy?"

I frowned. Why would it have to do with some guy? Was it because of some guy? I don't think so. I just wanted to look good at my first high school party.

I turned to my mother and gave her a small smile.

"Mom, I assure you it has nothing to do with a guy." I laughed.

"Except she's going on a date with a guy…a cute one I might add." Alice blurted out. I glared at her.

"Alice!" I groaned lowly.

Mom's eyes bulged slightly.

"So it does have something to do with a guy?" Bella teased.

"It's not a date mom. He offered to show me around and we'd get to know each other, s'all!" I stated.

"Which means it is a date…" Bella replied, raising her eyebrow slightly at me.

Wait! Was it a date? I didn't think of that.

I shrugged my shoulders in defeat and then continued on with the search, until Alice found the perfect ensemble and flashed it at me.

"What about this one? It's perfect for you!" She told me.

I smiled and nodded my head in satisfaction.

"This is safe." I said. "Thank you, Alice!" I told my aunt as I pulled her in a hug.

"Renesmee…" I heard my mom draw my attention away. She'd only call me 'Renesmee' to either irritate Jacob or when she wanted something serious to point out.

I turned my head to face her.

"I don't want to say be careful because I know you are but –just –be extra careful." She urged me.

I sighed. "Mom," I began as I began trotting over to her. I grabbed hold of her hands. "Nothing will happen. You can trust me on that."

Her golden eyes bore into mine, searching for any kind of hesitance or uncertainty but she found none and curved her lips slightly. I grinned widely and pulled her into a hug.

"You're not getting away that easily. You still need to tell your dad about this." She reminded me.

My breathing hitched. That's definitely a highly dangerous mission.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll cover for you." My mom said.

"I love you!" I replied with a sigh of relief. She laughed.

"Love you too,"

I got dressed in a comfortable loose ashen blouse –that showcased my stomach slightly –, denim jeans, dark 4 inch wedges. I applied a little bit of makeup on my face, mascara and eyeliner and left my hair in waves and ringlets at the tips. I grabbed my cellphone when I heard a text come in.

_**Hey, Justin here. Be there in five.**_

_**Justin**_

My lips curved into a slight smile that I couldn't help. I placed my phone in my back pocket and left the room. I began descending the flight of stairs and then entered the living room to see my uncles demolishing the console.

When Uncle Emmett saw me, he released a loud wolf-whistle.

"My niece is looking fine as hell!" He joked. My cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.

"I do miracles don't I?" Alice stated as she came from behind, stroking my arms before heading to her husband.

Mom, Aunt Rosalie, and Grandma came out of the other room.

Esme gasped when she saw me.

"Oh my, Nessie!" She retorted, her lips in a bright smile.

"Is that a crop top?" My mother questioned in panic eying my outfit, although, I knew she was just messing around.

"Oh shush Bella! She looks stunning and you know it!" Rosalie retorted, pulling me into a hug. I smiled.

"Where's dad?" I asked mom.

"He's in the office with Carlisle." Mom replied.

I nodded my head and then we all heard a car pull up the driveway. Alice squealed.

"He's here!" She said, running over to the door and taking a quick peek. "He's cuter in person,"

I rolled my eyes and began walking up to the door.

"Bye, Alice," I told her.

She pouted slightly before walking away. I took a deep breath, turning to my family who were grinning widely at me. Bella gave me thumbs up. I smiled and then opened the large door.

There he stood, down the driveway next to his car in jeans and a red flannel. He grinned when he saw me and the moment our eyes met, his crooked grin widened if possible. I grinned back and shut the door, and began descending the steps.

"Hey," I greeted.

"Hi," He sighed in nervousness. "You look amazing Renesmee,"

I grinned back, my blush appearing –curse my mom.

"Ready?" He asked. I nodded and we hopped into the car and drove off.

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

California was great! The weather, the life, the energy, everything! But it definitely wasn't home. There wasn't much in La Push, I'm probably an idiot to pick that dump over California but I'm embracing my idiocy.

I miss everyone on the res. Sam, Jared, Embry, Quil, Seth, Paul –although I needed to rethink that – and even Leah, my hotheaded beta. Of course, I miss the kids as well. I just needed to have confidence that Sam and Leah have everything under control.

I of course, the paranoid person I am, phase every night to make sure things a good there in Washington. That no vamps are lurking around.

The joke would always hit me right in the face because I'm practically living with the enemy. I don't mind though, over the years, the family has grown on me. Esme, being the mother hen made me all the food I wanted. I think she viewed me as the son she lost way back when she wasn't thirsty for blood.

Carlisle was still the calm-headed grampa. Doc was pretty cool. He told me a lot of stories about his past and I pretty much admired his um…what's the word…_**purity**_?

Emmett was by far my favorite male bloodsucker. We got along a lot over football and our love for heavy metal. And then came the pained Jasper who I bonded with over fighting skills.

His wife Alice…um…well she reminded me a lot of a hyperactive five year old. Heck, not even a five old acts the way she does. But she's pretty cool as well.

Then came Blondie…I don't even wanna talk about her. Even the thought of her name makes me want to regurgitate my own spit.

Edward and Bella were still the love-struck little kittens they truly are. It got old a long time ago. Bella and I still managed to be best friends, given our circumstances. Edward also grew on me, and vice versa –I think.

But I still can't help the fact that Nessie is still my number one girl! It might be the imprint talking but even without the pull, I'd still think she'd be my favorite. The way she's so lovable that it's literally impossible to get away from her.

It doesn't have to be established that she's grown up quite a lot over the years. I mean, she was even taller than Bella so yeah, anyone with a blind eye can see she's a woman now.

She still has no idea about the imprinting, I mean she could sense that there is something and I knew she felt the pull but she had no idea how to comprehend it. Eddie thinks it's just her trying to make sense of the connection she has with me but not with the other wolves.

Nessie's not dumb, but she doesn't dwell on something for too long. I think when the time is right, I'll confront her about it but I can't afford to think about it right now. She's still my best friend/baby sister.

One thing I loved the most about living with the Cullen's so far is that I don't actually live with them. I have my own personal space.

Thanks to Carlisle and Esme, I have my own living apartment downtown but it wasn't far from the main house, probably five minutes away.

It was the ultimate bachelor pad. Two bedrooms, a kitchen unit, living room, and a bathroom, it was totally cool. It was fully furnished, and the food supply was endless –I needed to make sure I'd thank Esme again for that.

Since I didn't need the second room, I turned that into my 'gym and storage' space. It was sort of my man-cave.

I had everything I needed and I was grateful for that. But I wasn't planning on lazing around all day. So the day after the move, so I asked Carlisle if he could hook me up with a place at the community college.

He did some paperwork, making it seem that I finished off the two years of high school I missed and then I was enrolled into the school. He paid for my first year tuition but I told him that I'll take over after that. Being the egotistic guy I am, I didn't want to depend on a rich family's wealth and I went job hunting.

Now I work part-time at Rowdy's Repair Shop.

Mr. Rowdy was a pretty cool guy, but he was super professional and I could see why since his business is so good. I made a couple of mechanic buddies.

Mike, Dave and Bob were all in the same unit I was in so we chatted a lot. They reminded a lot of being with Embry, Seth and Quil so technically I haven't left anyone back at home.

I was currently heading over to the Cullen's house when I heard my phone vibrate and I reached for it to see Seth's dorky picture on my screen.

"Sup, Seth," I told him.

"_What's up, boss?"_He retorted. I practically had to shun my phone away from my ear at the piercing enthusiasm.

"Inside voice, Seth," I reminded.

"_Oh right,"_ He replied. _"How're you doing man? How's the big apple!"_

"I'm not in New York, Seth," I rolled my eyes at my beta.

"_Yeah, yeah I know. Dude, Leah's mad,"_

"What? Is everything okay?" I asked frantically, my alpha voice appearing. That's one of the perks of being an alpha of a pack. I liked it.

"_No, no. Don't worry it's just. She's crazy…ordering everyone to do stuff for her, like this morning she forced me to get her a can of beer when she has legs that work perfectly."_ Seth groaned.

"First of all, don't you think we all know Leah's crazy? Secondly, she's your sister. I remember my sister's ordering me to go get them tampons so you're pretty lucky." I told him as I placed my helmet on the counter and grabbing a can of coke.

"_Shh!"_ Seth shushed_. "She still gets uneasy at the fact she can't menstruate!"_

"I thought she got over that a long time ago,"

"_Yeah me too, but last night she went all mopey as she watched a soppy love-story about a pregnant woman who can't get pregnant. Weird I know."_ He told me.

"She doesn't watch romantic movies?"

"_I know, again weird!"_ He told me.

"It's probably depression or maybe she still has the effects of her previous menstrual cycle." I told him.

I frowned. Did Leah want children?

"_Yeah, I guess,"_ He sighed. _"Hey, how's Edward doing?"_

Over the years, he's been close to the Cullen's, especially Edward. It's to the point where they'd be considered as best friends.

"_He's good I guess,"_ I shrugged. I didn't keep tabs on daddy bloodsucker.

"_How's he taking the whole Nessie thing? The fact that she's a teenager now and probably having feelings for you,"_ He asked.

"You know, Nessie doesn't have feelings for me."

"_I know but she will…"_

"I think it's better this way. They told me to wait a while, let Nessie enjoy her final year as an aging hybrid." I told him.

"_Yeah but…what are you going to do when she does indeed start developing feelings?"_

To be honest, I had no idea. Renesmee may have been beautiful, and I found her attractive and all that but I still haven't developed romantic feelings for her. I think she hasn't as well.

She may have had a small crush on me when she was about four and hitting the preteen stage but that dilled down as she approached her fifth year and since then, I don't think she ever looked on it. I don't know what I'll do when the time came or if the time will ever come.

"I don't know…" I replied, truthfully. "Hey, I got to go dude. Talk later,"

"_Peace out, boss!"_

I hung up right then and grabbed my helmet and left the apartment. I ran down to my sort of 'garage' and hopped on my bike and headed straight to the Cullen mansion where I caught an unfamiliar car drive by.

I frowned as I pulled my helmet off and began walking up to the house. I waltzed in to see the four women of the house giggling uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?"

They all darted their heads at me.

"Oh, Jake! Hey, how're you doing?" Bells greeted me. I smiled as I entered the living room with them.

I sniffed the air for my Nessie but found her not there.

"Where's Ness?" I asked. "We're about to watch the movie."

Tonight was 'Friday Flick Night' as Nessie called it. Every Friday night, Nessie picked a movie we'd watch which always led to a sleepover –for me. It was sort of a ritual that we possessed.

"Oh, no!" Bella retorted, covering her mouth. "I think she forgot to tell you that she's headed to a party. I'm sorry Jake."

I frowned but nodded my head in understanding and lounged on the couch, next to the big man and the blonde man.

"With a guy, by the way," Blondie laughed at me. I darted my head at her. "It's actually a date. He looks good."

"Rose…" Esme warned.

"What? He needs to know the truth."

Everyone's eyes were on me. Waiting for me to crack or react but I just sat there, chowing down on the food Esme laid on the table. I didn't want to worry about her because that would certainly make me seem jealous which I'm not.

Same thing when Nahuel appeared out of nowhere. I didn't see him as a threat or anything but I didn't enjoy the way he stared at my Nessie. I knew Edward didn't appreciate it as well.

"Nessie's on a date? I didn't agree to that, Bella?" Eddie boy stated as he and Doc entered the room. Bella smiled at her husband.

"Come on, Edward. Don't be hypocritical, Charlie hadn't had a say when you came into my room every night." Bella reminded him.

Huh! No wonder it smelled a little off that time I was in her room.

Edward growled at me.

"Ooh, burn!" Emmett laughed at the man.

"Let's hope nothing happens between them." Edward said in hopefulness. Bella rolled her eyes.

I sighed. So I guess I'll watch the movie by myself…

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

We reached Hunter Hamilton's house in about 20 minutes and we pulled up on his lawn. The moment we slipped out of the car, clamorously upbeat music reached our ears. I stared at the huge house.

It was a modern mansion. Typical…

Justin and I began sauntering over to the house, watching as crazy teenagers chased each other around with squirt guns and whipped cream. I laughed.

"Are high school kids usually like this?" I laughed.

"Nope," Justin smiled. "They're worse on birthday bashes."

I giggled as we entered the house to see craziness everywhere. The house crammed almost chockablock with people dancing to the loud electro beat. There was a DJ across the room, blowing the roof up.

It was dark and so they took advantage of that by making it a slight 'Black Light and Foam Party'. I tilted my head over to Justin who just shrugged his shoulders. I laughed.

"This party seems to be pretty popular," I shouted against his ear. Justin smiled.

"Yeah well, Hunter is the most popular guy in school!" He replied against my ear. "He's just a plain douche,"

"Oh I bet!" I replied. He laughed.

Justin and I decided to head to the backyard, where it was less rowdy. We were met with a smaller bunch but it was almost just as crazy as we watched shirtless people running around and jumping into the huge pool. I noticed a chalet bar across the room, where I knew then and there was the reason for this madness.

As we entered the room, a few lingering eyes were immediately on us. I suddenly felt a bit self-conscious. I wished my uncle was here to change my mood.

I noticed Justin was pretty overwhelmed by all of this as well. I stretched my hand out to him. He stared down at it and grinned widely, taking it gladly. We walked over to the bar.

"Two smoothies please," Justin asked the tender. I sighed as I stared at the crazy room.

I skimmed through the yard to see Felicity talking to her boyfriend and a couple of their friends. She waved her hands at me and gave me a wink. I smiled back.

"Here you go," Justin stated, drawing my eyes to him and handed me my smoothie.

"Thanks," I replied.

"So this is your first party I'm guessing." He told me.

I sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"You're definitely better than how I was on my first party." He laughed. I smiled up at him.

"I try to blend in as much as I can, since I'm the new girl and all." I told him.

"Well you certainly do blend in all right. You certainly do stand out because that outfit is amazing." He told me. I blushed.

"I didn't mean to be out of place, my aunt picked this outfit for me. Oh I knew I shouldn't –"

"Hey, don't worry. It's a good thing," He told me.

I couldn't help but smile back as I stared into those blue eyes of his.

"How was it like at your old school?" Justin asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"It was small, didn't have that many friends, practically didn't have PE." I laughed. He frowned in confusion. "I was homeschooled."

"Oh right," He chuckled.

"Yeah, in middle school I graduated in my basement." I told him, with a light giggle.

"I think that's cool. Takes all the pressure of the actual thing," He smiled.

"Yeah, it does." I said, as I looked around. "So tell me about yourself. Who's the infamous Justin Mazzola?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't say infamous," He replied with a dorky smile. "I've been in this school since freshmen year, I am known for being best at sucking at hurling, and I'm failing Econ."

I widened my eyes. "Wow, impressive!"

He laughed.

"I think you're slightly better at hurling now," I told him, giving him a light punch on his hard chest. He laughed back but something about him shifted then.

"No but seriously,"

"Well…I have an interesting family tree if that helps." He told me. I frowned. "Well I'm Italian…well half Italian since my mother is Mexican. My father lives around, but I've stayed with my mom since she won custody over me…but sadly my dad won my sister." He said.

I nodded. "You have a sister?"

"Uh yeah…twin sister actually." He said. I suddenly placed my attention all on him. "Okay, no, let me rephrase this situation…um I'm not supposed to tell you this but…"

"You don't have to tell me."

"No I want to. I don't really care actually it's just…hard to explain." He said, with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Well technically my twin isn't actually my twin. Seventeen years ago, my mom and dad were together and they had me but then what my mother found out was that my dad was fooling around with someone girl and had another baby with her. So with that my dad left my mom to marry the skank instead. Ever since then, my father and mother agreed they'd be civil with one another in order for us to maintain a relationship. My sister and I grew closer and our parents decided to enroll us as twins over the years because the resemblance was too hard to miss. And now here we are."

I was shocked. He lived a full life.

"And the only way to cover up his ass of being unfaithful was to make us seem like a perfect family." He added, his voice rising slightly.

"You don't like your dad, don't you?" I guessed.

He laughed. "Damn straight,"

"Well it seems like you've lived a complicated life."

"And the worst part is I know they're hiding something else from us." He sighed. "Sorry,"

"No, no. I get it. If I told you how complicated my life was, you'd understand how I'm on the same boat." I giggled.

He smiled.

"We should probably add that on our résumé." He told me.

"It's already on my college applications," I joked with him.

He sniggered, and then stretched his hand over to my head to remove something off it.

"You had a twig in your hair," He replied in his signature virile voice.

"Oh, I hate it when that happens." I laughed, staring at the thatched ceiling.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't Justin Maz_**low**_," A medium height boy with murky spikey hair, and tanned skinned waltzed up to us with a small group of guys following him.

Justin released a frustrated sigh.

"Dominic," Justin stated, with lack of interest.

"I'd thought you'd be with your boyfriend, Luke instead of standing next to the pretty lady." Dominic stated, turning to me. "Hi there,"

I smiled uncomfortably, tilting my head to Justin who seemed uninterested yet nervous.

"Hey, Demon child!" we heard a voice reach our ears and a tall, scrawny looking boy with green eyes and reddish-brown hair, came up to us.

"Oh the joy, the boyfriend is here to save the day!" Dominic retorted. "The geek squad is back together again,"

His friend's laughed.

"You really need to stop this whole jerkward attitude man. It's not attractive, since we all know you play for the other team." Luke stated.

Dominic's face shifted slightly and his cheeks slightly flushed but hid it with a stern look and clenched jaw. Which meant it was true! He was gay?!

"You're funny, Fitzpatrick. Do you wanna meet my iron fist?"

"Whoa, whoa easy there big guy! Nobody wants to see your tiny baby fingers." Luke laughed. I giggled slightly.

"What are you two doing here anyways?" Dom questioned.

"This is an open house party," Justin told him. "Everyone's invited."

"Yeah and obviously you didn't get the memo. Justin is the MVP," Luke stated. "And it's pretty obvious Hunter sent you here, didn't he?"

Dominic didn't reply.

"Yeah, so just walk up to your master and tell him to go suck a dick and put a sock in it. But obviously you'd like that." Luke stated.

I tried to contain my laughter but I couldn't. Luke literally shut him up and Dominic walked away.

Justin sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm in the team too…well I wouldn't consider warming the bench being part of the team but I am!" Luke told him.

"I could've handled that." Justin told him.

"Oh I'm sure you would've." Luke laughed at his friend. He turned to me and extended his hand. "And you must be the notorious, Renesmee Cullen. The talk of the town, I'm Fitzpatrick, Luke Fitzpatrick but people call me Luke Skywalker."

"Nobody calls you that." Justin sighed.

Luke shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows, I could be his reincarnation."

Justin rolled his eyes. I smiled at Luke and took his hand in a shake.

Luke saluted, and then something caught his eye. He lingered his eyes over to Felicity who was talking to her friends with Hunter holding her by the waist.

Luke sighed and then turned back to us.

"You know what; I'm not feeling the party anyway. I guess I'll see you two later." Luke stated. "Nice to meet you, Renesmee Cullen of Camelot!" he bowed before walking away.

I laughed.

"Sorry about that," Justin told me.

"I like him." I replied.

His eyes bulged.

"You're serious?" He said.

"I like the fact that he looks out for you. He seems loyal." I told him and I smiled and then turned my attention on the dancefloor where people were dancing around to the beat of the music.

_**Deorro – Elevated**_

"You wanna dance?" Justin asked me. I turned to him. He flashed his perfect rows of teeth. I smiled and nodded my head.

He and I then went on the dancefloor. He smiled down at me and I couldn't help but return it. What do I do now? Should I start dancing and he'd follow?

I just shook my thoughts aside and draped my arms around his shoulders. He was shocked at this exchange but soon returned it by wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling my closer to him. I smiled as he and I began moving to the music.

Everyone was either going nuts or passed out, some were making out –like Felicity and Hunter across the room against the wall.

It was kind of crazy how Justin seemed to be the only one I was paying attention to right now. Whilst everyone was going ballistic, I was dancing with someone I truly admired.

It reminded me of the dance I had with Jake when I was three –technically. He was the only one that I wanted to dance with. But it was different now…

I shifted my hand so it was caressing the hairs of Justin's neck. He grinned down at me as he moved a strand of hair from my face, rubbing my cheek gently.

I didn't know what was happening until his face was moving closer and closer to mine and I was reciprocating.

Suddenly Justin's mood shifted and he groaned when an abrupt spasm of pain hit him. He aided to his head and rubbed it soothingly.

"You okay?" I asked him as my hands left his neck and pressed on his broad shoulders.

He frowned, staring down at me. "What? Yeah I'm good."

I frowned slightly, before draping my arms around his neck again. Another spasm hit him hard and I immediately shook away from him.

"Justin," I breathed. He began panting. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He croaked and shifted from me, slightly tumbling at his step. "I'll be right back."

He walked off, stumbling over his feet but managed to get into the house. My eyes furrowed.

What was that all about?

Felicity suddenly came up to me.

"Isn't this party great?" Felicity shrieked.

"Yeah…um…I'll talk to you later okay?" I told her before following Justin's trail.

I searched through the crazy house, passing by people who were grinding against each other.

He probably wouldn't be here.

So I ran out the door and to my surprise, I found him getting into his car and driving off. I frowned.

Did he just stand me up?

"Renesmee," I heard a hoarse voice draw my attention away. I spun around to see an incredibly tall man with pale-olive skin, and a muscular build. His clean shaven face was rigid and stern; his eyes were a dark shade of brown, filled with antagonism. He looked to be in his late twenties.

"I'm a friend of Justin." He told me, flashing half a smile. "I'm Ray," He told me. "I was wondering if I could give you a ride."

I frowned.

This wasn't going to end well.

… …

**A/N: Now I know what you're probably thinking…whoa! Crazy right? Anyway, so there you have it. I hate cliffhangers but I love putting them in my story. Who liked this chapter? The first high school party! And Nessie's first date! **

**I find Nessie and Justin too adorable for words and I hope you guys too. Who feels bad for Jake? What do you think of Justin? Do you think something's up with him? What about Luke? And what the hell was up with the cliffy? Do you trust Ray?**

**Sound off your thoughts in your reviews. (I'm sorry for misspelling, I was in a rush).**

**The next chapter will look into Justin's life and thoughts. I'm excited for that one. You'll probably get a clear view of what's up with him and you'll also find out what happened to Nessie.**

**Thanks again for the support!**

**Review! Follow! Favorite! For a quick update!**


	5. Chapter 5: Children of the Moon

**A/N: Good day my lovely cinnamon roll readers! I've returned with yet again, another chapter. This chapter will shift slightly from the main protagonist's storyline and focus more on Justin. As I said before, he is a major character in the plot. But at the end of the day, this is a Renesmee story so you won't be seeing much on Justin's thoughts but if you liked this one…I can surely squeeze in more.**

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've had inspiration from mythology that is common to literally all of us. This takes place before he meets Nessie…**

… …

**JUSTIN'S POV**

"I have to head out down to the hospital. Dinner's in the fridge…" She retorted from down the stairs. "Don't forget to take the trash out!"

Sofia Mazzola. The nurturing, yet rigorous woman that doesn't tolerate crazy antics and shenanigans –especially when it came to her 17 year old teenage boy. Yes, my mother is a tough cookie when it came to her only kid, which is understandable because she gets to keep an eye on everything I do.

People tell me I look more like my _**father**_ and some think I look more like my mom. Honestly, I think it doesn't really matter. I could look like an alien's spawn and my mom would still claim I'm her child. I doubt my so called 'daddy' would though…

Since his living it all with his 'new' family, I think it's a good thing he doesn't recognize my existence because I don't want to feel his presence either. It just makes our relationship work.

"I'll probably be still at the hospital by the time you wake up – so in the safe-zone of being a good parent – I hope you enjoy your first day back at school!" Mom shouted.

Oh the joy! Now I have to think about school again.

"Thanks for the unwanted reminder mom, really appreciate it." I replied as I left my room and began descending the stairs to see my mother standing by the door and grabbing her coat, slipping it over her outfit.

"Oh lay off the hater aid, _mijo_. You've only got two years left of high school so make the most of it." My loving mother told me. I sighed. "Oh and please don't think continuing in that field hockey sport thing will help you get through it. We don't want a repeat of last year."

"Mom, it's called Hurling. And what happened last year was just a small mishap."

"You were sent to the ER. You broke your nose, damaged your right eye, your wisdom tooth broke out, and you dislocated your left arm." She reminded as she fixed up her shoulder length hair into a tousled bun.

"I'm still standing, aren't I?" I questioned.

She smiled and came up to me, pinching my cheeks lightly and ruffling my hair.

"You're not going to the tryouts." She stated.

I widened my eyes. "B-but ma –" She gave me a slight glare as she creased her eyebrow. I sighed in defeat.

"Now, take out the trash. This house smells like a roasted rat just got stuffed in a dead bird drenched in dog pee…I just can't!" Mom scrunched her nose before heading out of the house.

I smiled before heading to the kitchen, passing by my pet Parrot's cage.

"Evening, Uncle Ernesto!" I greeted him as I pet his beak.

"Uncle Ernesto! Uncle Ernesto!" He replied. I smiled and walked over to the trash bin. I wrinkled my nose.

"Yep, mom was right." I nodded as I pulled the bag out and headed out the door. I threw it into the garbage heap and began heading back to the house.

It was a cold night. Fall season was by far my worst season of all. I'd much rather prefer the heat.

As I headed to my house, I felt a strange sense of energy floating around me. I spun around to see that it was as empty as it was a second ago; the streetlights were on like it always was…it was quiet.

I shook my head as I inserted my hands into my pocket.

As I reached the porch step, I heard the ruffling of leaves coming from behind me. I frowned as I twisted my body around only to find an empty space.

That was weird…

I side and continued on and shut the door on my way in.

I shot over to my room and pulled my tank top over my head and discarded it over to the pile of laundry. I grabbed iPod and hit my playlist, plopping my headphones.

I did my nightly ritual as I worked my dumbbell and barbell. My two best friends!

After working out for about half an hour, I headed into my bathroom and grabbed my towel and set the shower on.

I was rinsing my hands when I suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the roof…almost like trotting of feet.

There was then the sound of cracking coming from the ceiling. I widened my eyes. This must be a break in!

I ran into my room and grabbed my stick from under the bed. I then began heading to the balcony, unfurling the doors and creeping. I didn't know the outcome. The intruder could be heavily armed and I could die in seconds, so my heart couldn't exactly help thudding vigorously as I got closer and closer.

As the sound became less prominent, I stood in my tracks.

As if on cue, I heard the trees rumple and the intruder appeared and jumped in front of me. I gave the swiftest swing I had and hit him straight in the gut, causing him to collapse on the ground and cry out in agony.

I hit him once more on the leg and aimed for the head.

"Hey! Hey! It's me!" I heard a familiar voice reach my ears. I frowned as I scrunched my eyes together to see the boy with the reddish-brown hair.

"Luke!" I wheezed. "What the hell are you doing?" I questioned.

He winced in pain. "You weren't answering your phone. Why do you have a stick?"

"I thought you were an intruder," I told him as I helped him up. He groaned as he shook off the leaves off his clothes.

"An intruder – I – what – look, I know it's late but you gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave the house 20 minutes ago. Dispatch called. They're bringing in almost every law enforcement agency in the Oakland Woods, California department. Something big!" Luke stated, almost enthusiastically. I sighed, rubbing the folds of my forehead.

"Okay, sounds great. For what?" I questioned, in lack of interest.

"Two joggers found something in the river. A body," Luke stated.

"They found a dead body?" I asked, my mind literally being blown –not really.

"No, a body of vanilla milkshake," He replied with an eye roll. "Yes dingus, a dead body"

"You mean like murdered?"

"Nobody knows yet. But this is what I know…it wasn't just one body? They found a body in a meat locker the other day…but when they went back, they found it missing." Luke began ranting on, excitedly.

Yes. Luke Fitzpatrick, my idiotic yet hilariously awkward brother from a totally different alien life time. We've literally been through everything together, the ups, the downs, and the weird. Strange how things played out, the boy that took a whiz on my sandcastle 13 years ago turned out to be my best friend.

"Hold on, if the cops found the other body, then what are they looking for?" I questioned as I set my stick down.

"This I'm excited for…they only found the head! But the body in the meat locker had no lower half so they're not only looking for two bodies…but three!" He grinned widely. "We're definitely going!"

I frowned. "I'm not going anywhere,"

… …

"Remind me again why I'm your friend?" I asked my psychotic friend was we headed for the river, going over to the bridge through the woods.

"Um…it's pretty obvious. I'm the _**awesomest**_ and only friend you've ever had!" He scoffed as he used his flashlight to direct the way.

"Is that even a word?" I asked.

"Just focus, will you?" He groaned, and then handed a small object. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What's this?"

"I don't know. It came off your truck last month; I thought it wasn't important."

"Don't you think this would've been useful information a month ago?" I posed as I stared at the screw then back at Luke who just shrugged his shoulders.

"How would I remember if I thought it wasn't important?" He questioned. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh god," I murmured as we continued walking.

"We're seriously doing this?" I asked.

"You're the one that's always bitching that nothing happens in this town." He told me with a snort. "So don't come crying to me."

"I was getting a good night's rest before hurling practice tomorrow."

"Right because sitting on the bench requires grueling effort." He laughed.

"I think that's your job." I pointed out. "And I think I want to play this year, I'm planning on making the cut."

"Hey, that's the spirit. Everyone should have dreams, even unrealistic ones. Bravo, sport!" He applauded.

"Just out of curiosity, which parts of the bodies are we looking for?"

"Huh! I didn't even think about that. Hopefully it's not the bottom end though, I don't want to see a dead man's junk."

"So what if the killer of the bodies is lurking around here?" I asked.

"Also something that never crossed my mind," He replied as we reached the bridge and stood on the center, staring at the stream of water. "That's where they found the head."

"It's comforting to know you've planned this out with your usual close attention to detail." I stated sarcastically.

"I know, isn't that awesome?"

I sighed. "So now that we're here…where's the head?"

"Oh um…I guess I also need to scratch that off the list of the things I didn't think about." He replied embarrassedly. I guffawed.

"So we came here for nothing?"

"Hold on, remember the X-Files?" He questioned. I frowned. I wasn't following. "Have you seen an episode of Bones?" I still wasn't following. "This is one of those cases. The cases where Booth and Brennan are always able to find corpses in the most unpredictable places…"

"So what you're saying is…the bodies could've been moved so that the cops won't find them?" I guessed.

"Bingo,"

I frowned. It's not like dead bodies could come back to life and disappear all by themselves so this must've been done by people.

"What if an animal –?" I was immediately cut off when the sound of police alerts appearing and the sight of light appearing.

"Wait, come on!" Stiles retorted as he decided to make a run for it.

"Luke! Wait up! Luke! Luke!" I half-shouted, half-whispered at him as I followed his trail, forcing my legs to move fast. He was always faster than I was. One thing I hated about him.

"Hold it right there!" I heard a call. I stopped in my tracks.

"Hang on, hang on. This little delinquent belongs to me." I heard the familiar hoarse older voice reach my ears.

"Dad, what's up?" Luke stated, as Detective Fitzpatrick came up to him.

"Eavesdropping to all my phone calls is 'what's up'!" Detective Fitzpatrick retorted.

"No... Uh…I don't eavesdrop on the uninteresting ones though." Luke replied smartly.

"Now, where's your sidekick?" He questioned.

"Who, Justin? Jus – Justin's home. His mom said he wanted to get a good night's rest for the first day back at school tomorrow. It's just me. In the woods. Near the river. All alone." Luke replied, lying smoothly. Detective Fitzpatrick didn't seem convinced. He lifted his flashlight at my direction and I immediately hid behind a barky tree.

"Justin, you there? Justin!" He called out.

He sighed when he gave up and turned to his son.

"Listen, what you need to do is get to the car. Take a deep breath and prepare whatever convincing reason you've got to not let me ground you for a month? Hmm? Sounds good?" He questioned as he took him away.

"Aww, come on dad!"

I chuckled slightly as I checked for the coast. It was clear.

I sighed and began walking back to my truck.

I was met with glowing eyes and a huge figure growling at me before everything went black!

… …

The next day, I woke up to the piercing sound of my radio going off, telling me that I should get ready for my first day back at school. Yay! I guess I should listen. It's not like I have anything else to live for. And it's not like anything interesting will happen today.

I hopped into my old Toyota Tacoma and drove over to my doom. I entered the parking lot and parked beside the Aston Martin DB9. I sighed. It belonged to none other…

Hunter Hamilton.

"Dude – watch the paint job! This car's priceless," The douchebag stated, wiping a non-existent scratch on his dark chromed. He narrowed his eyes at me, pulling his shades on. He scoffed as he fixed his scarf.

I clenched my jaw and held tightly on the steering wheel. I've always wanted to punch that dude since freshman year. But I was too much of a wimp to even try.

"Yo, Hunter, let's go bro!" Dominic called him up over at his sporty car. Hunter gave me a condescending salute before walking over to his groupies.

I scoffed as I pulled the handbrake up. I stared at myself in the rearview mirror. I had dark edges to the folds of my eyes. And they definitely not the usual morning bag eyes!

I frowned.

I still couldn't shake off what happened to me last night. All I remembered was waking up in the middle of the woods. I must've hit a tree or something.

I slipped out of my truck and shut the door, shrugging my bag over my shoulder.

"Hi, Justin," Gretchen Stewart greeted me as she and her giggling high-pitched friends greeted me. I smiled back.

I began walking up to the school, to see Luke standing there in his khaki jacket and denim jeans, looking way out of place. I laughed.

"You look like you've just lost one of your dolls." I told him.

"They're called action figures," He replied with an eye roll. "You look like you rolled around in a pile of shit. What happened to you?"

"I don't know. I think I'm having a seasonal fever or something." I rumbled as I caressed the back of my neck lazily.

"Yeah okay, remind me never again to share any drink with you." He stated. I smiled. "So what happened to you last night? I tried calling you and you didn't answer…again. I had to listen to my dad's famous 'When I was once your age' lecture seminars, I needed your assistance ASAP! It was an SOS!" He pestered.

"I don't know. I was heading to my car and the last thing I remember was blacking out and finding myself in the middle of the woods. I think I was attacked, not only attacked, almost mauled by an animal…" I told him, and then I showed him the huge marks on my arm.

He stared me with confused yet disturbed eyes.

"Okay, that's unsettling." He replied, shaking his head. "That's some creepy Van Helsing shit going on there. You should check it out."

"I'll be fine. It was probably just a raccoon."

"It could be a bear. Those aren't claws from a raccoon." Luke told me as he assessed my marks properly.

I reassessed the wounds with a precise assessment. Raccoons don't have huge claws so I'm pretty sure it wasn't that.

"Could it be a bear though?" I questioned. He shrugged. "I mean, I don't remember what it was because it was dark and really quick but…"

"Hey look, if you're going to be like it was a ghost with claws, count me out because that's highly unlikely…in California that is." He scoffed.

"No it was definitely something real…but it was eerie as well." I told him. "It was cold."

"I thought you said you didn't remember anything?" He said. I frowned. "You know what? Forget it! Let's just focus on our junior year! I've got a whole new year's resolution that I want to apply."

"It's a little too late to be making new year's resolutions, Luke," I laughed. The New Year is just 3 months away.

"You should know I always do my best work, last minute."

"I do." I smiled.

"I mean like seriously, who studies anyway? Studying is just a tool that dweebs of the geeks use generate their programmable minds. Not everyone works like computers. I consider myself an exam perfectionist. I should get a PhD in it."

"Yeah well, we can't all get what we want now can we?" I smiled. "But get this, I think I know a way to solve our little body investigating predicament…we can make it a stakeout mission. I think I know where we can find them."

"Seriously? This is awesome! You know how I love finding dead bodies, it's so exciting! You're not joking right?"

"No, I wish though. I'll be pissing my pants every time I go to bed."

"Oh god, that is so freakin' awesome! I mean, this is seriously gonna be the best thing that's ever happened to this town since –since the birth of Felicity Stone. Hey, Felicity – You look like – you're going to disregard my presence again…cool!" Luke moped as Felicity Stone and her two minions pass by us. The minions giggled at us.

I chuckled.

"Real smooth,"

"You're the cause of this, you know." He glared. I smiled. "I'm known as the school idiot! I'm a school idiot by association, did you know that's possible. Dude, seriously,"

"Keep telling yourself that buddy." I smiled, patting his shoulder roughly as we walked up the school. He flinched and groaned.

"You're a strong idiot…" He replied as we entered the school building.

I sighed.

Here we go!

… …

Our first period was English with Mr. Finch. Yeah, he hated us and vice versa but the only difference is…we didn't care!

As the lesson began, I could hear the students chat it on or passing around notes. I could hear almost every conversation. Could they be any less loud? Oh right, yeah, they can't because none of them care!

I freaking love this school!

I could hear Principal Philips talking to a student or who I assumed was a new student outside the hall…

"Hey, dude, we're getting a new student." I whispered to Luke who sat beside me.

"How do you know?"

"Don't you hear Principal Philips, talking to a student outside?" I asked. He shook his head after trying to listen closely. I frowned.

The door was unfurled and Principal Philips entered with a girl with extensive bronze hair, however, it was almost enflamed with burgundy touch towards the tips.

She was breathtakingly beautiful. I've never seen a person quite like her before –however cliché that sounds. S-she was just…amazing!

Her eyes were majestic, they were a rare kind of milky/chocolate brown, and you could even see then glisten in the sunlight. But something that allured me most about her was her impossibly rich, pale skin…her skin was so pallid that you could hardly notice the glow she had been radiating.

"Class this is our new student Ruh-nez-may Cullen," Boring ole' Principal Philips. "I trust you'll all do your best to make her feel welcome." John was fawning over her. "Close your mouth Mr. Peterson,"

The Principal left soon after and the new girl just stood there, awkwardly. She reluctantly began heading my way.

Oh god! No! Yes! Come sit with me! I'll protect you! Yes!

No! No! No!

She took her place behind me.

I grabbed my pencil and notebook and turned my body around to face her. I stretched them out to her. I heard that she needed one when she was talking to someone over the phone.

She frowned for a second before flashing the craziest beautiful smile that would knock anyone off their feet.

"Thanks." She replied sweetly, her voice having a certain ring to it. I smiled and nodded.

… …

The rest of the day, I kept staring at the new girl. I don't know what was wrong with me. I didn't want to seem like I total stalker or anything and Luke made sure I had that in my mind.

So I just decided to lay it down for a while…

But it wasn't until the practice where my feelings returned as she and Felicity took a seat on the bleachers. During my fixation, I could vaguely hear the talks between all the boys on the 'new hottie' and their plans to pork her. It all started in the lockers where all the guys were gathering around, planning their first move to get in her pants –even the ones with girlfriends!

The next day I hardly saw Renesmee –when I soon learned how it was spelt and pronounced. But I met up with her later that night when she almost 'ran over my head' as she puts it.

I didn't want to let her freak out more so I thought of the stupidest excuse.

"_It's like falling off a skateboard…"_

I rue the day I ever said that.

I was glad she found it amusing. She was very straightforward and I found that interesting. Usually when girls do that, they're either the mean girls or the shy ones that fail dismally. Renesmee thought…made it work.

I was glad when I found out that 'Family Night' wasn't even a thing and I decided to go out on a limb and ask her out. I was really hoping not to get rejected this time.

Good thing she agreed.

On the day of the scrimmage, Luke and I cut school to go find the bodies and that was when we came across Ray Parker.

Apparently, we crossed over his territory and he gruffly asked us to leave.

He was a pretty intimidating dude. He was like those crazy mafia guys from the movies, in suede jackets.

"I guess we better leave." I sighed, after he left.

"That was Ray Parker!" Luke stated. I frowned. "Remember that documentary about his family? The Parkers' house being burned down! Killing all his family members instantly but him being the only survivor. His parents, his siblings, even his wife, all died in that fire. He's only a couple of years older than us."

"So?"

"He's seeking out for vengeance. Apparently he was involved in the killing in San Francisco."

"Yeah, I think we should take the warning a little less lightly." I told him.

He sighed and we hopped into my car.

During the scrimmage, I managed to score 15 goals, plus the winning goal. I was absolutely shocked at this because just yesterday, I sucked at the game.

I was so happy that I literally danced in the shower when I got home.

My mother lent me her car for the night because she knew I had a date with Renesmee. I thought I needed to pick her up in something fancier than my old truck.

Yeah I'm a momma's boy! I tell her everything.

I picked her up at her house. Well I wouldn't consider it a house. It was almost as big as a castle. So she definitely came from a well-off family…

The moment she left the house and descended the porch steps, I was struggling to catch my breath. She looked pretty amazing.

As we reached the party, I couldn't get away from the stares people had been giving us, especially Renesmee. She didn't seem to notice though, so she obviously wasn't accustomed to attention seeking. Not most girls in this town are like that, but after all, she comes from a different town.

We decided to dance after chatting and after Justin's minion Dominic intruded.

We were dancing for a while. We were both engrossed in each other's attention and she was sending me the signals. At least I thought they were.

So I went out on a limb and screwed my thoughts as I began finding myself heading for her lips.

But I was suddenly stopped by an excruciating pain hitting me hard. I backed up for a while before it disappeared and continued on dancing with her but then it returned yet again and this time all I could see were blurred lines everywhere.

I could vaguely hear Renesmee consoling me but I couldn't focus.

"I'll be right back," I find myself saying before stumbling away. I entered the crazy house, in search for Luke and not finding him. I realized her probably might be gone so I just rushed out the door and slipped into the car and drove off.

"What the hell is happening to me?" I asked myself as I wince in pain.

I wasn't paying attention to the road at all. I almost crashed into a huge truck but swiftly moved to the side quick enough.

After pulling over, I sat there, trying to regain my conscious. I could feel every feeling in my body connecting together to form one huge ball of pain and I couldn't handle it. I decided to release my inner aggression as I flashed my eyes open and unhitched my jaw widely.

I stared at the mirror to see my eyes were completely yellow with a shade of red.

What the actual fuck?! I cursed in my mind as I blinked vigorously until my eyes shifted back to its normal blue.

My pain and sight became less livid and I was able to see again.

Was I having a hallucination? One minute I was at the party with Renesmee and the next…

"Renesmee!" I gasped as the thought popped into my mind.

I ditched her at the party.

I suddenly found myself racing over to Hunter Hamilton's house and running over to Felicity who was practically stumbling over her step.

"Have you seen Renesmee?" I asked her.

"No. I thought she left with you?"

"She left?"

"Yeah, I saw her catch a ride with someone." She told me.

"No! No!" I stated as I realized who she could've caught a ride with.

It was Ray Parker…

I remember the warning he gave me the other day.

"_**You don't want to lose anything precious…"**_

He was the one that kidnapped Renesmee!

I decided to head over to Renesmee's house first. There are so many way in which I screwed up.

I knocked on her door impatiently. The door was immediately unfurled and a breathtakingly beautiful woman stood there. She had long brown hair and her skin was impossibly pale, almost too pale! She eerie, in more alluring ways than one. She looked so angelic!

"Hello," She smiled. Her voice literally pierced into my ears and the warmth to her voice was impeccable.

"Whoa…." I managed to strain in utter awe at her beauty but I shook my thoughts away. "Hi. You must be Mrs. Cullen um…I-I'm Renesmee's friend from school. Look this is gonna sound nuts, completely nuts but hear me out! Okay, I can't describe it at all but –"

"Hold that thought, kid," She stated. "Nessie! Your friend's here to see you."

Renesmee suddenly appeared from over the huge balcony. The relief on my face was just unfathomable.

"Oh god, thank you!" I told them. "I'll talk to you on Monday!" I promised to Nessie who looked confused and unpleased.

I hopped into my car and headed over to the woods, his 'territory'!

"Ray! Ray! What did you do?!" I questioned angrily. "Ray Parker!"

A dark figure appeared from the shadows and began heading my way.

"What did you do to her?" I shouted.

"Nothing," He replied.

"You could have killed her!" I seethed.

"Oh like you could've?" He stated with a gruff chuckle. "She was in safe hands. She's safe from you! But you're not safe from her!"

"What the hell does that mean?" I questioned.

Ray Parker suddenly grabbed hold of me by the neck and pulled me behind the tree, slamming me against it and forcibly placed me to the ground.

"What the –" He placed his hand over my mouth.

"Keep quiet. They're here…" He murmured to me.

Who?

"I thought I saw them." A man stated, as he appeared in equipment strapped around him and a gun in his grasp.

"They're really fast." The one man laughed, this time in a crossbow.

"They may be fast but we will always be one step ahead." The first man stated and the other joined in soon after as they began walking away.

"Get the hell off me!" I snarled as I pushed him away but not without difficulty as I almost stumbled over.

"Justin…"

"What – Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?" I questioned.

"I'm the person you need to turn too when you want to survive. You need to be trained. It's not easy being one of us." Ray stated bluntly.

What the hell was he talking about?

"What do you mean by 'one of us'? You did this to me didn't you! You wanted to kill me! You're killing me!" I screeched as I charged for him.

"Cool off, kid. It's not as bad as you think." He grunted. "Think about all the things you do now, imagine it being heightened. Your sight, your hearing, your instincts, all heightened. This is a gift."

"I never asked for it."

"You will one day," He warned me. "But right now, you need to figure out a way to protect yourself from getting caught."

"What's happening to me?" I demanded.

If he was the one who did this to me then I needed answers!

He didn't reply.

"What am I?" I asked nervously, wondering if I really wanted to know.

"The supernatural world calls us, _**The Children of the Moon**_ or more commonly known as lycanthrope. But there is no accurate alias for what we are." He told me.

"Is it a disease? Will it go away?" I questioned.

He narrowed his eyes at me, his dark eyes filled with rage. I shifted slightly, feeling completely edgy at that moment.

"This is not something you can just turn off. You're in it for life!" He told me, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

S-so did that make me a monster?

"Who were those guys?" I asked Ray.

"Hunters. They've been lurking this world for more than 5 centuries." He replied.

"They hunt people like us?"

"No. We're actually allies because they're hunting the one thing we wanted to get rid of for more than a millennium. Blood bathers…" He told me. I frowned. "They hunt vampires." He stated.

"Vampires? Vampires actually exist?" I questioned in utter shock. This is crazy! I'm living amongst psychos! And now this!

"They've been running around in huge clans and killing every citizen. They need to be executed. The hunters have managed to decline the vampirism rate in this town, but there are more out there. Word in there's a new blood bathing clan that just moved down here." He recited, his voice dripping with anger and hatred.

"What did they ever do to you?" I laughed unamused.

He glared at me. "These…**vampires** were the reason why our whole species declined over the years, forcing us to move in packs. There are only a number of us left around the world. They need to be stopped."

"Were they the ones that killed your family?" I questioned. He took one look at me before grabbing me by the collar and slamming me against the tree.

"You cannot tell anyone about this. Or else you'll be the first execution on my list. Understand?" He growled at me, his spit literally splattered on my face.

I nodded my head in agreement.

"There has to be something here! Hey!" We heard a call.

"Hide," Ray grumbled, pulling us to the ground. "They're back," He whispered.

I took a peak to see the two hunters we saw earlier, however, a third person was coming ahead.

"Quiet. They may be humans but they have talents that could convince otherwise." Ray warned me.

I got a better look at the third hunter –who I assumed was the leader. He looked really familiar.

"These bloodsuckers can't just stay away from this town, can they?" The third man uttered in a too familiar voice, staring down at a drained animal.

I widened my eyes when I realized who it was.

"What is it?" Ray snarled at me.

"That's my dad!" I gasped out.

My dad was a vampire hunter!

All those 'unexpected meetings' that he had almost every day were actually hunting vampires? He lied to me this whole time?

… …

**A/N: Holy cow! Wow! Um what the hell was up with that? Crazy chapter, I know. Justin is a child of the moon? That's crazy. (Pardon my errors, I was in a rush).**

**That was a mythology that I found pretty interesting when we first heard about it in BD. I wanted to know what the obsession Caius had with them. I hope you're all just as interested.**

**Well there you go; I tapped into Justin's thoughts. I hope you enjoyed his POV, getting to know his background. I love the friendship between him and Luke.**

**So what do you think of Ray? Should he be trusted or not? I'm afraid for the Cullen's; I'm not sure about you guys. These vampire hunters give me bad anxiety *tee*. Do you guys hate or just love Justin?**

**If you have any thoughts on this chapter or story, sound off in a review! 1 question: What would you like to see in future chapters?**


	6. Chapter 6: Krusty's Grill

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I woke up Monday morning and prepared for my day at school. After taking a shower and throwing on my outfit. I quickly descended down the staircase and headed to the kitchen, to see Jacob making laughs with my mother and grandmother as he ate breakfast.

"Morning," I greeted.

"Good morning, Renesmee," Esme greeted in her usual warming tone. Mom waved at me but Jake didn't seem happy when he saw me, but he managed to give me a slight smile.

"What are you doing here Jake? I thought you'd be slumping it on your bed right now?" I laughed, taking a seat next to him and giving him a light punch on the arm. He laughed.

"Yeah, well, Esme invited me over for breakfast. And honestly, I was too lazy to make my own." He replied. Esme gasped and slapped him with the kitchen cloth.

I giggled.

Esme set a plate of the bacon and egg sandwich in front of me. I smiled up at her.

"So, Charlie and Sue are thinking of changing their wedding in the winter." Bella stated.

"Oh!" I gasped.

"That's an unexpected change." Jake said, taking a chunk of his meal.

"Yeah, Charlie said there's no wait but I don't think that's the case. I think he misses us and he thought he'd get us back quicker by having the wedding date shifted." Bella laughed.

I smiled.

"I miss them so much." I stated sadly.

"I do too, sweetie." Bella sighed. "You excited for today?"

I grinned widely as she brought it up.

"What? What's happening?" Jacob asked.

"I'm trying out for the cheerleading team today." I squealed.

"Forgive me, but why? Aren't cheerleaders usually those snobbish, self-absorbed teenagers? I'm pretty sure you're not affiliated to any category." He told me.

"Yeah thanks," I laughed. "But hopefully, I'd change the stereotype. I'm planning on joining in every extracurricular activity, and every club I can."

"Pretty eager I see. I remember when I joined the football team back at the res, I left that same day." Jake laughed.

"That's nothing; I had to be kicked out of the volleyball team for being such a klutz."

"Huh! You guys really do sell out the beauty of sport. Now I'm nervous." I stated, folding my arms against my chest.

"Honey, that was years ago, when both Jake and I were essentially human. You're a vampire. So it's different."

"I'm also human so it's not really that different." I told her.

"You'll be great. Mother's instinct," She assured me. I scoffed.

My dad entered room and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Morning dad," I told him as he went over to my mom who he gave a peck on the lips on.

"My lovely family…Jacob," He nodded at my wolf's way. I giggled and Jake rolled his eyes.

"How did you sleep daddio?" Jake teased.

Dad groaned. "Remind me why you're in my house again?"

"It's actually Carlisle's house, just FYI!" Jake stated with a mouthful. I laughed as he ate his meal like a two year old. I stretched my thumb out to him and wiped the ketchup off his cheek. He turned to me to give me a cute smile.

The moment I met with his eyes, I could swear I could see through his soul. His beautiful soul…

My heart literally thudded faster as his eyes pierced through mine. It felt like I met him for the first time, which was weird.

"Thanks," He replied.

There was silence for a while before my mother broke it with a clear of the throat. I reluctantly moved my eyes away from Jake and back at my food.

"So um…Edward honey," Mom turned to dad, who looked strangely annoyed. "Why don't you grab the keys to the car for me? I'll drop Nessie off today."

"Uh…sure," He stated, glaring at Jacob slightly before heading out the room.

"So, have you talked to Justin yet?" Mom asked, taking a quick glance at Jacob then back to me.

"No." I simply replied.

I didn't want to talk about him in front of Jacob.

And I certainly didn't want to talk about him after he stood me up at the party on Friday and then came on my doorstep later that night to tell me he'll explain everything today. Maybe he has a reasonable explanation.

"Actually –" I began.

"Hey, uh…I think I better get going." Jake stated after glancing at his watch and stood up. "Some people need jobs than sit around a house all day,"

"Ah, I see you're throwing some shade our way, aren't you Jake?" Bella teased. He laughed as he shrugged on his uniform shirt.

"I'll see you guys later," He told us. "Bye Ness," He stated, planting a small kiss on my head before rushing out.

I stared at the empty space he left. His scent disappearing almost instantaneously…

"Don't worry about it. He's probably still moping about how he missed movie night on Friday. It's just stress." Mom told me, as if she read my concerns.

I nodded my head.

I still felt bad though…

Bella and I left the house and drove over to my school. She was so fast at driving that I pretty much thought she gave my dad a run for his money.

"Okay, pep talk time," She began as we pulled up. "You expressed how much you enjoy being active in extracurricular activities right?"

I nodded my head.

"Well obviously you'll get into the cheerleading squad but I don't want you to get in by default." She warned me. I frowned. "I mean, it wouldn't be fair if you get in because you used your vampire abilities now would it?"

I widened my eyes.

How could my mom think that?

"I would never cheat my way through the cheerleading team."

"I know that sweetheart but you also can't control your abilities." She laughed. "So all I'm saying is…just be careful of all the girls. It greats crazy in the gym,"

"Yeah, mom I get it." I told her. She curved her lips and pulled me into a kiss on the head.

"Have a good day sweetheart," I smiled back and slipped out of the car.

I was sauntering over to the school building when I was immediately stopped by an arm being draped around mine.

"Is it just me or am I still hungover from Friday night's bash." Felicity's voice reached me. I smiled.

"That explains the shades,"

"Oh god! Friday was just nuts. My mom thinks I'm pregnant when I kept puking the entire weekend."

I frowned. "Wow! Is it that bad?"

"I had to eat a caramel ice-cream to get some liquid in. I lost a lot of fluids…and solids." She chuckled but groaned as she clutched her stomach.

I laughed, rubbing her hands soothingly.

"What happened to you that night? Justin was worried sick about you…well that's if I remembered it was Justin."

"Um…yeah, I caught a ride with someone."

I reluctantly accepted the ride from Ray. The whole ride though, was pretty awkward. He was silent the whole time and I felt uneasy being in his car so I just told him to drop me off near the woods where my house was five minutes away.

"Anyway, so word out is you're trying out for the cheerleading team?" She asked as we entered the building.

"Yep," I smiled.

"Oh well I'm pretty sure you'll get in. The captain will make sure of that," She told me. "And the captain being Felicity Stone,"

I gasped. "You're the captain?" She grinned. "That's so awesome but I'd prefer to have a fair try."

"I guess that's okay. But it's not as easy it looks." She told me.

I shrugged. We'll see.

… …

After homeroom, it was PE period with Coach Flak. He was a pretty awesome teacher, the most hilarious of all!

We pulled on our kit and headed for the gym. Coach Flak separated us into groups; the girls play volleyball whilst the boys played basketball.

"Hunter looks so hot when he's competitive, right?" Felicity asked me as she fawned over her boyfriend. I laughed, twisting my hair into a ponytail.

"Girls, get your asses in the game!" Coach retorted. Felicity grinned and turned her body around and hunched down slowly, making sure her shorts even shorter.

The boys all released a series of wolf-whistles as they took a moment to mesmerize over Felicity's glory.

"I wouldn't mind tapping that!" Jack –aka, the shag king as his friends called him – stated, causing the gang to laugh.

"That ass is all mine so take a seat dickhead," Hunter stated and all the guys laughed.

Felicity grinned widely.

I found their relationship strange. One minute they're at each other's throats and the next they are making out by the lockers, showing tons of PDA. I didn't particularly like him as well. But if Felicity was happy, then I'd be happy for her.

I turned around to see Justin talking to Luke. He shifted his eyes and locked with mine. I turned around almost immediately.

The ball was coming my way and I took a huge hit at it, but unfortunately landing on someone's face.

"Oh, okay that's going to leave a mark," Coach Flak called out. I gasped and ran over to her side.

"I am so sorry!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I-I am so –"

"I just applied my new ELLE foundation. It cost almost $90 dollars, and you ruined it. Ugh!" She snarled in utter annoyance. Everyone's eyes were on us, fully engrossed in the throw down. I could hear people uttering for a fight.

"I-I –" I stuttered.

She stared at me with so much rage.

Was I just about to have my first girl fight?

"Omg, I'm messing with you!" She stated as she flipped her to the side and flashed a smile. Everyone laughed.

I frowned in confusion.

"Are you making fun of me?" Felicity gasped out.

"I am!" The girl shouted back to her and giving her a clear fake smile. All the girls giggled uncontrollably and Felicity groaned in frustration.

"Okay, everybody…take five, okay, take five." Coach Flak sighed in frustration. The girl I hit walked over to her bag and pulled out a bottle of water.

I took a deep breath as I began walking up to her.

"I'm sorry again about what happened back there." I apologized sincerely. She turned to me. "I lost my focus for a second."

"It's cool, chica! We can let it slide." The beautiful tanned girl with lengthy chestnut hair and huge hazel brown eyes stated. "You have a good spike,"

I blushed scarlet.

"Yeah thanks," I told her. "I'm Renesmee –"

"Renesmee Cullen, yeah I know." She replied. "You're the talk of the school. The newspaper club is even planning on featuring you as their head cover page."

I widened my eyes.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"You made a huge impact in the school. All these horny boys aren't looking at different girls now, it's just you. I was shocked when I saw the whole lip-lock drought," She chuckled.

I smiled and stared at the ground, trying to mask my embarrassment.

"Alex Mazzola, head of the Newspaper Committee," She extended her hand out to me and gave me a handshake.

I replayed the name in the head and found out that she had the same last name as Justin.

"Hey, you're Justin's twin sister right?" I asked her.

She shushed me.

"Hey, let's not get the word out now shall we?" She said. I giggled. "But yeah, I'm Justin Mazzola's younger twin sister," She said, however, it sounded like she was mocking at it.

"Don't worry about it…he told me about the whole situation." I told her. She scoffed.

"Right, he would've. Blabber mouth," She groaned. My grin fell. I didn't mean to cause a rift between the family. "Oh don't worry, it's cool. He doesn't care if the word goes out and frankly, I don't either."

I smiled.

"It's stupid to keep the secret anyway." She stated. "So you're the girl that he's been blabbering about?"

"He talks about me?" I asked. I couldn't help but form a small smile.

"Yeah, he gave this whole speech about how great you are the other day. He sounds smitten." She laughed. I blushed. "Oh, speak of the devil,"

I spun around to see Justin heading our way.

"Hey, big brother!" Alex greeted him with a wide smile. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good Alex," He stated gruffly.

"Brr! Who blew your top?" She questioned. His eyes were on me. "Okay, so I guess I'll take that as my cue."

"It was awesome meeting you Renesmee," Alex told me.

"Same here," I replied.

She left almost immediately, leaving Justin and I together. There was awkward silence for a while before I broke it.

"So what happened to you on Friday? You left me stranded at the party."

"Yeah…I'm really sorry about that. I-I just had something…uh….something popped up but I really didn't mean to ditch you there."

"It's okay." I smiled back.

His lips curved into a slight crooked grin as he stared down at me.

"So I was hoping we'd start all over?" He asked me. "Maybe go grab a bite at _**Krusty's Grill**_? It's this restaurant downtown that just opened up."

I smiled. "I'd like that."

Justin grinned widely.

As if on cue, the bell went off and all the kids lined out.

… …

Cheerleading tryouts were today and I was quite excited for it.

I slipped into my leggings and sneakers and threw on my tank top. The girls who were trying out were pretty intimidating. They all seemed fit and flexible and although I was fit, I hardly had any athletic background.

Hopefully the 'PE lessons' with my Uncle Jasper would pay off.

"Okay, Renesmee Cullen. You're up!" Felicity called out through the megaphone.

I walked into the room and grabbed the pompoms.

I wasn't exactly expecting to get in. Cheerleading really looks boring actually, however, I wanted to show school spirit and that would easily be great on college applications.

"What will you be doing for us today?" Jessie –co-captain – asked me with lack of interest.

"Oh um…I'll be doing some contemporary and freestyle?" I pointed out.

They urged me to begin.

The song came off the background and I did my routine that I practiced for a while. The routine contained contemporary dancing, jumps, backflips, front flips, cartwheels and I ended off with a splits.

The cheerleaders eyes were widespread and their expressions, gobsmacked. Lissa –one of the judges – shot up in her chair and applauded me. I smiled.

"Um…" Felicity turned to the two girls who shrugged. "I guess it's a unanimous vote. Congratulations, Renesmee, you joined the Hurricanes squad."

I widened my eyes.

"Seriously?" I questioned. They nodded their heads. "Um…thanks but, can I just think this through for a while?"

Did I really want to join the Hurricanes?

I dropped the pompoms and headed for the door.

"Nobody has ever done that before," A girl whispered to her friends.

After grabbing my bag, I left the schoolyard and headed to the school bus.

"Renesmee!" I heard Justin's voice pull me away. I spun around to see him running over to me in his hurling shirt, with the number 22 printed on it, and a pair of knee-length sweats and sneakers.

"Practice?" I asked.

He smiled.

"Yeah," He said. "How did the cheerleading tryout go? Did you get in?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I'm just going to think it through before agreeing to anything." I told him. He nodded in understanding.

"Hey, I was just heading home right now, I could drop you off if you'd like?"

"How about we head to that Kristy's Grill place?" I asked.

"Krusty's Grill but…" He chuckled. I giggled. "Yeah sure,"

We hopped into his truck and we drove downtown. It wasn't so far from the school; it was a walking distance away. Justin and I entered the restaurant. It was a pretty cool restaurant, a mixture between a 80s themed diner to a modernized bar.

Justin and I took a seat by one of the tables.

A female waitress with short jet black hair and dark eyes came up to us and took our order.

"Thanks," Justin said to her.

"You're welcome," The waitress gnawed her bottom lip, giving him a once over and walking away. I frowned and gave a small amused chuckle.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," I shook my head. "This place seems so cool."

"Yeah," He replied with a smile. "There's an opening here for a busboy, I think I'm going to take it. And since the manager's friends with my dad, he'll hopefully give it to me."

I smiled at him.

"Now I've got a reason to come over more often,"

He laughed.

"That's if I get the job,"

"I'm pretty sure you will." I told him. He smiled back.

I felt my phone vibrate in my bag. I reached for it and pulled it out the side pocket.

_**Good day mi bella flor. This is Nahuel, It's taken me a while to get used to all this profound technology but I'm getting the hang of it. How are you doing mi carina?**_

My eyes widened in absolute shock.

_**Nahuel! Oh my god! It's great to hear from you…**_

I sent the message and he replied almost a second later.

_**Of course! Why wouldn't it be? ;)**_

My cheeks flushed.

"Everything okay?" Justin drew my attention away.

"Hmm? Oh yeah! Everything's good!" I said, slipping my phone back into my bag. "So your sister…uh…she's great!"

"Alex?" He chuckled. "Yeah, she's great once you pick a fight with her that is." He laughed.

I could tell she was a tough cookie when she stood up to the popular girl in school –Felicity. Having a conversation with her was really great; I found her personality quite refreshing. She was extremely blunt and honest which reminded me so much of Embry's personality. If they met I'd think they'd hit it off completely.

"I bet. So are you guys just as close as you both portray to be?"

"I guess, I mean even though we have a complicated relationship in terms of relation, she's still my sister at the end." He told me.

I smiled. "That's really sweet,"

Our food came in about ten minutes later. Justin and I dug in, whilst holding on strong conversation. Justin wasn't all what I thought he'd be. Not only is he sweet, genuine guy but he was pretty hilarious. I didn't know what I felt for him but the feeling was definitely a good one…

But was it just for him though?

… …

**A/N: Um…omg! A double update? How awesome is that? This was sort of a filler chapter from last chapter's brutal chapter. **

**What do you think of the addition of Alex? She'll also be a major character in Nessie's story. **

**Felicity and Nessie's friendship will also be a huge thing in this story. I hope you guys like Felicity now…because you might just love her in the coming chapters (or hate her).**

**Anyway, nothing much to say here but review all your thoughts on the chapter and tell me who you like Renesmee with the most…**

**Jake? Nahuel? Or Justin?**

**Review! Thanks for the support yet again guys, it means a lot but keep them coming.**

**Happy Thanksgiving!**


	7. Chapter 7: Birthday

**JACOB'S POV**

After my shift, I hopped into my car and drove over to Walmart to grab some of my necessities. Yeah! I eat a lot!

I was in the cereal aisle –grabbing some Apple Jacks, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Corn Flakes – when I heard someone call me. I spun around to see a familiar-looking girl standing behind me, her expression shocked.

"Hi," She greeted me.

Her voice sounded familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Uh, hi," I replied, wrinkling my eyebrows.

She frowned at me. "You don't remember me, do you?" She questioned.

Should I?

I chuckled nervously. "I'm sorry,"

She giggled lightly. "Stolen car?" She asked. I deepened my frown. "Aston Martin Vanquish?"

I replayed the words in my head, taking one quick glance back at her and then reverted back to the past.

"_**This is a beautiful car," She said. "It's a shame they're not making them anymore. I mean, the Vantage's body styling is gorgeous, too, but there's just something about the Vanquish…"**_

That was the day Edward handed me the keys to his Aston Martin Vanquish. I remember searching for…well my 'imprint' and that's when I met the girl who new cars.

"Lizzie?" I asked. She smiled back. "Oh, wow! It's been such a long time."

"Yeah and you still look the same." She frowned. "But those guns are definitely crazy,"

I stared down at my arms and smiled then looked up at the girl. She was definitely older than the teenage girl I met at the mall back in Forks –probably in her mid-twenties.

"Ha, what are you doing here?" I asked. She raised her basket at me.

"Getting some food," She teased, laughing at me.

"No. I mean, you left Forks?" I asked.

"Uh yeah, I came here straight out of high school. Got into UC, Davis and now I'm a trainee teacher at a high school." She laughed.

"Small world," I told her. She nodded her head.

"I see you're doing my well," She said, pointing at badge. "Are you stealing the cars over at that mechanic store now?"

"Ha ha," I said sarcastically. She giggled. "Are you insinuating all your students as well?"

"Sometimes I think that encourages them to do better." She stated.

I smiled, but my grin fell slightly when I wasn't looking at Lizzie anymore but Nessie, watching her smile at me, pulling her hair to the side whenever she's nervous. I was supposed to be staring at Lizzie, but in my eyes, all I saw was Nessie. No other girl mattered.

"Are you okay?" Lizzie asked.

"Hmm?" I hummed when I drifted from my trance. "Oh, uh, I'm good." I cleared my throat.

"I better get my cereal. It was great seeing you again, Liz," I said.

"Me too," She replied.

I nodded my head and made my way past her.

"Wait," She called out. I turned around to face her. She handed me a piece of paper. "We should meet up sometime, you know, talk about cars?"

I laughed, staring down at the paper.

I really didn't want the number but I could use at least one friend in this town right?

"Yeah sure," I replied. "Bye,"

"Bye," She said as we both parted ways.

I sighed as I made my way to the cashier and placed the items in.

"Plastic?"

"Yeah," I replied.

… …

I made my way back to my apartment and walked through the door, placing the bags on the counter.

When I was done with the groceries, I jumped on the couch and flogged the TV on. That was when I heard an eager knock on the door; draw my attention from the screen.

I sighed as I got up from my seat and waltzed over to the door. I unfurled it to see Seth standing there in a sunburned leather jacket and tattered jeans…wait Seth was here?

"Hey, boss!" He retorted with his usual nauseating joyful grin.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.

What the actual –? He's not supposed to be here! This is my personal space! My much-needed break from pack issues and here's my beta, someone I found quite annoying to add on to it.

"I love how welcoming you are," Seth stated as he walked in.

Sure! Just come on in! It's not like you're invading or anything.

"Cool place," He grinned as he skimmed through my scrappy apartment.

"Thanks, I work hard on it." I replied with an eye roll. He nodded. "What are you doing here?" I asked again.

He sighed. "It's terrible back at home. There's not much action, the boys complain that there aren't any vampires to kill; Leah's driving everyone on the verge of insanity. I needed to get away, so I thought 'Hey, why not visit my good ole' alpha?' Here I am."

"How did you get here?"

"I walked. Yeah, longest five hours of my life but the people on the road are kind." He stated. I widened my eyes.

"Seriously?" I questioned as he took a seat on the couch.

"No, you idiot, I drove here with the Durango. When I told Eddie I'd pop by, he literally freaked. I asked where I could find you and he gave me your address." He told me.

I needed to make a mental note to talk to that blabber mouth of a mind reader later.

"It's been less than two weeks since I left. Things can't already be falling apart now that I'm gone?" I asked as I grabbed two cans of beer from my six pack and walked over to the couch, handing one to him and taking a seat.

"I guess we all miss you buddy. Your departure made an impact," He said.

"Look, I don't know when I'll return or if I ever will. Wherever the Cullen's go I follow, I mean I don't have any other choice." I mentioned with a shrug.

"I know that but…" He sighed. "It's just hard to adjust to everything,"

To be honest, I was feeling exactly the same way. The pack has been my family for a long time, they were my brothers and it was really hard to separate from them. But I really had no say in the decision.

My dad seemed to have been taking it the easiest of all. He understood that I needed to be closer to Nessie; he knew that the imprint was too big to get away from and I think he prepared for it a long time ago. But I still miss the ole lump though. I'm glad Rachel's got him occupied.

"I miss you too buddy," I smiled, giving him a fist bump. He grinned back.

"How's Nessie adjusting to the whole 'teenager life'?" He asked. "The good old days," He reminisced.

I chuckled. "I guess she's doing okay. She has already taken over the popular girl title."

"Damn, she works fast. The first time I got a girl to notice me in school was after two years." He laughed.

"Yeah, Jennifer Tilley, middle school crush. Yeah I remember," I laughed. I was in my freshman year of high school when Seth told me what happened to him. He was a sore loser back that…

Seth sighed. "Good thing Nessie's your imprint, you won't have to worry about rejection."

I glared at him.

"I wouldn't be so sure." I told him. He frowned at me. "There's this guy that Nessie seems really interested in at School."

"So you feel threatened by him?"

Did I feel threatened by him? Fuck no! Was I worried about him being the one she thinks he is? Definitely!

"No. I'm not with her." I told him.

"But he is…" Seth laughed.

I rolled my eyes.

"So are you afraid he'll take her from you?" Seth questioned.

Wow! This is not wheels of fortune! Stop asking so many questions!

"I'm not afraid of him…taking her away from me but I am afraid t-that he might be the one she thinks he is. If that makes any sense." I told him.

Whoa! When did I get so bitter and unconfident? Did I hit my head on one of the cars today or what?

"Hey dude, stop being a whimper-puss. Nessie's not going to pick this wannabe over you Jake. You're Jacob 'Freaking' Black! You two are meant for each other and will end up together in the end. And I'll be the godfather for your all your Black puppies." He laughed, punching me on the shoulder.

"Your constant optimism really gets on my nerve sometimes." I said truthfully.

He shrugged his shoulders as he took a sip of his beer.

"I'm just stating the facts,"

In a sense, I felt really content and happy at what Seth said. It won't happen now or anything but…maybe one day, when things are different I'll get a chance to be with Nessie.

Was I really starting to have feelings for Nessie?

"I can just imagine Edward's face when he sees his only daughter end up with his enemy," Seth laughed as he pictured it.

What he said reminded me of the conversation Edward and I had a year ago.

"_**Jacob, may I talk to you?" The mind reader called me out.**_

"_**I'm enjoying my turkey sandwich and you just had to ruin it!" I groaned, with a mouthful of the delicious turkey sandwich Esme made for me. She's a saint!**_

"_**Now," He said calmly, although the sternness of his voice was still there. He walked out of the patio door and stood on the porch.**_

_**This looks like something really serious.**_

_**What did I do now? If I wanted to be told off by someone, it might as well be my dad! Not a bloodsucker! When did I stoop this low?**_

_**He stood like a statue, staring at the horizon.**_

_**I wonder if he'll crack if I stall.**_

_**You know what I better not. **_

_**I took a huge bite out of my sandwich before standing up and making my way to the door. I stopped in my tracks, running back to my plate and taking another bite out of the sandwich before heading out of the door.**_

_**I stood beside him, watching his stature not move an inch, his eyes not blinking once.**_

_**Freaky much?**_

"_**Hey, yeah I know, I scratched your car the other day but it doesn't look that bad." I admitted.**_

"_**What?" He murmured in confusion.**_

_**I widened my eyes. This wasn't about the car?**_

"_**What?" I asked.**_

_**He sighed and let it slide.**_

_**Thank god!**_

"_**Since Nessie's out with her mother, I was hoping we'd get some alone time to talk about things." He mentioned.**_

_**Ooh! Alone time! Sounds inviting!**_

"_**I want to talk about the future." He stated. "The future with you and my daughter,"**_

"_**Look, Edward. I promised I wouldn't do anything until she's mature enough to start a relationship. I'm still honoring the 'No imprint' code." I told the bronze headed vamp.**_

"_**Of course, you may only court my daughter when she's ready and when I give you the permission too." He corrected me. I nodded. "But that's not what I mean…"**_

_**I furrowed my eyebrows.**_

"_**When the time comes, I would like it if you're ready…" He told me. I turned my face to him. What the hell was he on about? "You're not a teenager anymore, you're a young man so when the time comes you'll need to be able to stand on your own two feet and support Nessie if you two decide to take the next step."**_

_**Did he seriously admit that he'd allow Nessie and me to get married if we wanted to?**_

"_**No." He replied to my thoughts. I figured. **_

"_**Look, Eddie. I understand that and I'm planning on you know, being independent and all of that." I told him.**_

_**He nodded his head.**_

"_**Good we had this talk, Jacob," He said to me.**_

So I guess this discussion was partially the reason why I needed to get a job. Edward just had to put the pressure on me.

I didn't answer Seth and just ran through my messages –one particular message from the reason for my existence.

_**Hey Jake! The family went on a hunting trip for the night whilst I'm having a small group of my friends over for my belated birthday. I was wondering if you'd make a scene?**_

I smiled.

"Nessie's having this uh, birthday get together with her friends from school tonight. She invited me over so –"

Nessie just turned the big (or should I say small) 7 on Tuesday and that meant she stopped aging. She easily looked like a 17 or 18 year old now so I guess that's how she's going to be for the rest of her existence.

"I thought you would never ask." Seth stated.

"But I have to warn you, there are crazy teenagers. We'll be out of place."

"We haven't been out of the game for that long. I'm sure we'll fit in." Seth said confidently.

"Yeah, sure," I rolled my eyes.

"I'm going to take a shower and do not…eat my food." I warned him, as I made my way to the bathroom.

"Too late," He told me.

In a way, I was glad he was here. I needed at least something from home.

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

My alarm went off and I hit the off button.

I groggily fluttered my eyes open to see two heads right in front of me.

"Happy Birthday!" My parents exclaimed joyfully, carrying a miniature round red velvet cake.

I sat up and leaned against the headboard, rubbing my eyes.

"My birthday was three-days ago. This is the fourth time you guys woke me up with a cake in your hands." I told them.

"And we're going to keep doing this until you get sick of it." Mom stated. I rolled my eyes.

"And you're not the only one sharing the cake," Dad told me.

Mom rolled her eyes. "Please, Edward. I don't like cake."

I frowned in confusion until realization struck me. "Oh, it's your seventh birthday!"

She smiled. "As a vampire, yes,"

"My two favorite girls have grown up so fast." Edward teased, his face filled with emotion.

"Oh, please," Mom and I both stated in unison. He grinned.

"Make a wish," Mom urged.

I sighed but willingly blew the candles.

They both applauded me.

"Now get up, we've got another surprise for you." My mom told me. I dipped my finger on the cake and ran it over the icing. It tasted good.

"Five minutes!" They called out the moment they left the room. I heaved a sigh and hopped off the bed.

After freshening up, I made my way downstairs and entered the kitchen where my grandmother laid out a bowl of cereal and milk out for me.

"Where's everyone?" I asked her.

"Oh, they went out for the hunting trip. Carlisle was paged to the hospital but he'll be back in an hour. He and I will follow the others then with your parents." I nodded my head.

My mom and dad came into the house after coming from the garage. They seemed excited; you could see it in their identical smiles.

"You guys aren't having desires for each other because if you are…" I trailed off.

"No," Mom replied, her smile not leaving her face.

I smiled. "You said you had another surprise?"

Bella's grin grew and Esme's smile was in full center. Dad extended his hand out to me. I took and hopped off the chair. He placed his hands over my eyes, covering them and guided me out the door.

"What's happening?" I kept asking.

"You'll see,"

We finally halted and I could tell we were outside as I felt the breeze of the wind and the smell of nature.

He moved his hands from my face and I fluttered my eyes open to see a cherry dyed Toyota Camry Solara SLE convertible.

My eyes bulged in utter shock.

"We've noticed how much you've expressed getting a car. So your father and I contemplated whether or not you were ready to receive such a responsibility." Bella said.

"And after a long time of arguing –" Dad said.

"Discussing," Mom corrected him. I chuckled.

"We decided on your seventh birthday, would be the best time to get you your first car. So…" Dad stated, pulling out a pair of car keys and throwing it over to me. I caught them and widened my eyes.

My first car…

I giggled as I went over to mesmerize at the beauty of my new car. You wouldn't tell it was a convertible but thanks to my knowledge of cars –courtesy to Jake and Rosalie always blabbering about them– I knew right then and there.

"Thank you so much!" I ran over to my parents and pulled them into a massive three-way hug. They both laughed.

"You're welcome but this is not a gift. You've earned it, but it won't continue being that way if you do something reckless, understand?" Edward told me the moment we pulled away and held my face. I nodded.

"I won't let you down." I promised.

They smiled proudly at me.

I parked my car –I love saying that – into the garage and came out, walking back to my parents.

"Oh, yeah…uh…is it okay if I have my friends over from school?" I asked them. "It's just a small gathering."

"How many friends would you have over?" Mom asked.

"About five, it's Felicity, Hunter, Luke, this new girl Alex and uh…Justin." I replied truthfully.

"That doesn't seem bad." Mom smiled, turning to my father. "Right…?"

Dad nodded. "They're friends from school so that's good?" He pointed out.

I smiled. I didn't expect dad to be so agreeing.

"Great, thanks!" I squealed, spinning around and heading for my house.

"Wait!" Dad called back.

I knew there was a catch.

"I think it'll be best to have someone keeping watch of you and your friends." He said. "Preferably, Jacob?"

Was he suggesting or was he stating?

"I'm commanding," He said with a sly grin. I smiled, nodding my head before spinning around and running into the house before I get called out again.

I didn't exactly like the fact that Jacob will practically be babysitting me whilst I hang out with my friends. I didn't even need a babysitter; I'm 7 for crying out loud! But obviously that wouldn't be a proper argument to point out with my old folks though!

Ugh! I can never get my way.

After two hours, my parents and grandparents left the house and followed the others to their hunting trip in Canada.

I had the house –mansion– all to myself! I should make the most of it.

I was working on my sketch. It was a picture of Jacob in the woods. I don't know why but I find that drawing Jake soothes me in some odd way. He was my safe haven.

Painting and sketching is a great way to unwind my mind, however, drawing either portraits or paintings of Jacob just makes me happy. It makes me feel like he's close to me even when he wasn't around.

I realized I needed to inform Jake about the party so I pulled out my phone and texted him.

_**Awesome! See you soon,**_

I smiled at the message and as if on cue, the doorbell rang. I got up from the couch and headed for the door, unfurling it to see Alex, Luke and Justin standing there with beverages, food and presents.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted them, giving them all individual hugs. "You made it."

"Hell yeah!" Luke retorted.

"We wouldn't miss your birthday party for the world," Justin said with a bright smile. I smiled back.

"Even though it isn't an actual party," Alex told me. I smiled, inviting them in. "Really nice house,"

"When I saw the house on the way here, I thought I was in heaven." Luke stated, causing all of us to laugh.

"We brought food!" Justin stated, placing the bags on the kitchen counter. "My mother's homemade Quesadilla and lamb casserole, Dr. Pepper six pack, Snapple, Cheetos, Nacho Cheese and your favorite…" He came up to me, flashing a chocolate bar. "Carmellos,"

I grinned, snatching the bar from him.

"But we didn't come without presents for the birthday girl!" Luke told me. "A camera from me, hunger games box set…uh from me, a Pearl Jam flannel…from me again!"

"Oh but Justin got you…wow, he got you a lot. Headphones, uh a CD set of the greatest hits, a cup holder, a picture frame, and a Krusty's Grill $100 coupon for three months," Luke stated.

I turned to Justin who just shrugged.

He really bought all of those for me?

"Uh and…someone wanted to get you a vibrator!" Luke rolled his eyes.

"That would be me!" Alex raised her hand up.

I widened my eyes. What?

Luke and Alex laughed at my expression.

"No, honey, I wouldn't stoop that low." She grinned at me. "I got you a Neck massager and a sweet bag with a pillow case. Cost me my allowance but you're worth it." She told me. "Hey, but a vibrator would've been awesome right?"

"Uh…yeah, I mean sure you can use that as a neck massager too!" Luke pointed out.

"You guys are idiots!" Justin sniggered, shaking his heads at his friends.

"It's true! When I was five, I used my aunts 'neck massager' and it turned out to be her vibrator." Luke pointed out. "True story,"

Everyone laughed.

I grinned.

"Thanks guys," I stated happily.

"Sure, anything for you Rens," Justin stated, draping his arm around my shoulder. I stared up at him and smiled slightly.

"I brought Pictionary so prepare to be annihilated." Luke said confidently.

"Dream on," Justin teased his best friend.

I smiled, but realized someone was missing.

"Felicity and Hunter aren't coming?" I asked.

They shrugged.

As if on cue, the doorbell went off again.

I sauntered out of the kitchen and ran over to the door.

"I was worried you weren't going to make it…" I trailed off from my sentence when I not only saw Felicity and Hunter but another 100 people from our school.

"Happy Birthday sweet lady!" Felicity grinned.

"Felicity!" I exclaimed. "You brought the whole school?"

"No, just the junior class!" She stated. "But wouldn't it be awesome if the whole school were here?"

I widened my eyes.

"Let's throw the shit off this roof!" Hunter retorted and everyone else roared, as they all barged into the house. One of them carrying a huge stereo, hit play and upbeat music blasted through the house.

I couldn't find my words or senses as I watched everyone roll into the house, uninvited. Justin came up to me.

"I thought you said this would be a small party," He told me.

"That's what I thought!" I gasped.

This wasn't going to end well.

… …

"Please use coasters!" I told the boys who were in the kitchen.

I gagged in disgust as I watched couples make out with each other on the couch. Stupid guys were running through the video games collection. Emmett won't be too pleased with that.

I sighed as I ran up to all the rooms, locking them all so that no one would enter.

"This is not happening," I whispered to myself.

This is unreal!

"Happy Birthday Renesmee!" one of the students told me.

"This party is crazy!"

I'd say so!

All I kept thinking about was what my parents and family would think! I'll probably be grounded my whole life.

I made my way to where my friends were in the living room.

"Guys, I have to get everyone out!" I told them.

"If it wasn't for Felicity's big fat mouth and ego, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Alex trundled her eyes in frustration and irritation.

"Okay, let's think this through before we go out maiming or mangling Felicity's face." Luke defended her, eying Alex slightly who raised her arms up in offense.

"Let's just talk to her, let her get through them." Justin suggested.

I nodded my head, skimming through the room to look for Felicity. I caught her sitting by the couches, surrounded by all of Hunter's friends with Hunter's arm draped around her shoulder, and a beer in his grasp.

I sighed, making my way over to them.

"Felicity, you need to get everyone out." I told her.

She chuckled. "I thought you said you wanted a party,"

"Not like this!" I retorted.

"Come on, Ruhnezmay, let loose! Have a drink!" Hunter laughed drunkenly.

"It's Renesmee!" I corrected him, rolling my eyes.

"Felicity, you need to get everyone out." Justin stated, stepping forward.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Hunter shot up and pushed Justin away lightly. "Nobody's going anywhere with you in charge, you're just a wimp!"

Justin stood rigid, clenching his fists together.

"Felicity, you don't need to be with him. Not like this," Luke stated, reaching out for her arm but Hunter was quick and pushed him away, causing him to fall.

"You stay away from her you little twink!" He seethed, his index finger figuratively stabbing at him.

"Hunter," I warned.

"Stay away from him," Justin stepped forward, in front of Hunter's face whilst Alex helped Luke up.

"How about you make me?" Hunter questioned, gritting his teeth together. He spat in his face and grinned.

Everyone around him erupted into laughter.

Justin stood there, staring at him but I could sense the heat he'd been making. His body looked like it would burn right then and there. He tightened his fists together and lifted his hand up.

I ran over to him and held him, trying to stop him.

"Don't do it. Don't do something you're going to regret," I murmured into his ear, holding his fist.

Hunter just laughed.

"Felicity…" I pleaded to her with my eyes.

She looked sad, and guilty.

She nodded her head.

"Come on, Hunter, let's get out of here." She told her boyfriend, pulling him away by the arm.

"Fine, this party was lame anyways," Hunter stated. He and his friends left.

I turned to my friends who looked really pissed. I turned to Justin who visibly seemed calm but you could tell he was angry. I moved away from him, going over to Luke and making sure he was okay.

I smelt a familiar scent reach my nostrils and I spun around to see Jacob climbing up the stairs and entering the room. I sighed in relief.

"Jake," I called out, running over to him and hugging him. "I'm so glad you're here,"

"What's going on here? I thought you said this was a small get together?"

"It was but then things changed. I don't know what to do. I want them to leave but…" I paused.

"Do you want me to chase them away?" He said. He didn't look too pleased at the scene, quite angry actually. The second worst feeling other than my parents being disappointed in me is Jacob in full anger-alpha-mode.

"No, no. It's my mess and I need to fix it." I told him. "Thanks for coming though,"

"Of course," He replied, smiling slightly.

I managed to release a small smile. I loved over his shoulder to see someone utterly familiar standing behind him.

"Seth!" I gasped.

He made a full appearance and grinned widely at me.

"Nessie! My future niece-in-law!" he laughed as he scooped me up in his arms and twirled me around. I giggled as he placed me back on the ground.

"W-what are you doing here? I didn't know you were in town?" I gasped in utter shock.

"I just stopped by a couple of hours ago. I came to see my favorite family." He smiled brightly.

One thing I loved most about Seth was what a breath of fresh hair he was. He was always jolly and happy which made everyone around him happy too. Besides Jake, Seth would be my favorite of all the wolves.

"Happy Birthday, are you seriously _seven_?" He questioned. I laughed. "It was just four years ago you were playing with Claire, building sandcastles!"

"That's because it was four years ago," I laughed. He smiled back. "It's great to see you again, nonetheless."

He grinned back, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"Well I'm going to get something to drink," He said, taking advantage quickly. I smiled, turning back to Jacob.

"So your parents really gave you permission to throw a party?" He teased.

"That's when they didn't know it'll be a full rave," I laughed. "I'd like it if you wouldn't tell them?"

He frowned. "Ness, I can't keep that secret for long. You have a mind reader for a father,"

"I know but I'd like to be the one to tell them, after I sort this mess out!" I laughed nervously.

"Well I have something that would cheer you up," He said, digging into his back pocket and pulling out a long necklace, however, it wasn't a typical one. It was beaded in with small colored beads, striped feathers and fur, different engraved rings and a small little wolf, and a fang dangling off it.

"I made this for your birthday. I didn't have time to give it to you because I needed to add the finishing touches," He smiled. "The fang is my personal favorite,"

My eyes were widened.

It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and that tops the bracelet he made me on Christmas 2006.

"You seriously made this?" I asked him, in utter shock. He grinned crookedly, nodding his head.

"It's nothing. Just a little something,"

Of all the gifts I got today from my friends, this one had to top all of them. I mean, it wasn't bought and it was unique. I literally fell in love with it the moment I laid eyes on it. The fact that Jake would go to such lengths just for me made my heart flutter….

Tears were welling up in my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his neck and got on my tiptoe, pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you so much," I whispered on his shoulder. His large arms engulfed me, pulling me in.

"You're welcome," He sighed out.

I smiled, reluctantly pulling away to stare at him. Our eyes interlocked for more than usual, but then my eyes shifted over to his lips, how thin they were, pink and soft.

My eyes were stuck there for a little while before I awkwardly departed from him.

"Uh…thanks again," I told him, pulling my hair back and motioning to my necklace. He smiled back. "Want to meet my friends?"

He shrugged.

He and I soon made our way over to my friends who were indulged in conversation.

"Uh, guys, this is my best friend Jacob." I introduced him to them.

"Hey, Jake!" they all said.

"I'm Alex," She extended her hand. "And I think you need to be arrested for possession of huge guns!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her statement.

Jacob did have some huge biceps.

He blushed. Adorable!

"Jake, this is Justin, Justin, this is Jake." I introduced them to each other.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Justin asked, extending his hand. Jacob took it and gave it a shake.

"It's good man." Jake said, but something about the way he said it didn't feel right to me.

"So how do you know Renesmee?" Luke asked.

"Oh, he's been a family friend like forever. We've been friends ever since. He attends California community college," I told them.

"Oh,"

"Hey, did you know there's a keg in the kitchen?" Seth laughed as he came into view. He stared at the group and greeted them all. "Hey!"

They all waved at him.

Seth's eyes turned to Jacob but he had to make a double take when he met eyes with Alex. His eyes were locked on hers for a long while and same with her. The energy between them shifted. Something tells me they made some connection or they're just having a staring contest. The latter seemed stupid.

"Hi." He managed to utter.

Alex smiled but shifted her gaze away from him, staring at the ground.

Hold up! Alex never shied away from anything or anyone!

"I'm Seth." He greeted. "I'm Nessie's Uncle. You're very beautiful" Seth stated smoothly as he stared down at Alex as if she was some magical being.

Alex just stared at him, her expression motionless before she released a light snort and intertwined her fingers together.

"Oh yeah," She sighed, her voice filled with amusement. "You know, that's the thing about guys. They just call up a girl, tell them they're beautiful without actually getting to know them or even try to."

"Uh…"

"I'm pretty sure that's why relationships never work out. Statistics show that the average American married couple never last more than three months. I mean take that whole Armenian family with that lame TV reality show. Isn't that crazy? Those men are too blinded by the visual beauty of a girl that they don't even have the will to get to know them. That's some bull-crap right?" Alex ranted on as she lashed out at Seth who was at loss for words.

"And I know what you're thinking, 'But omg, I just think beautiful girls should be told they're beautiful' well news flash! This is the 21st century; we're not in the 1800s where people tell each other how gorgeous they are every single damn second! There's no such thing as prince charming. And even if they were, they wouldn't have been half as decent!" She stated in annoyance.

"So thank you for the compliment but…" Alex paused, contemplating whether or not to continue her sentence as she stared deep into Seth's eyes. "I-I'm not _**interested**_…"

Alex turned around to face us, then back at Seth and waltzed away. Something about the way she said it made me wonder. It felt like she was pained to have said that to her.

"She's a ray of sunshine," Jacob pointed out.

"Yeah she is…" Justin stated with a sigh, watching his sister leave through the patio door.

I turned to Seth who looked to have been having too many mixed emotions. But pain, sadness, confusion, shock, rejection and more pain were the ones that were fully prominent.

I felt bad for him.

What was wrong with Alex?

I turned around and followed Alex's trail.

I opened the glass door and shut it as soon as I entered to see Alex standing there. She twirled around.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what got over me there! I didn't mean to be rude." She groaned. "Ugh! That's just me. Every time I'm in this situation, I panic and I become a real life boy repellent."

"Hey it's okay," I said making my way to her and staring up at the girl.

She was definitely taller than me, probably 3 inches. She looked like an actual model; you could tell that she was gorgeous even behind her boyish style –although she wears earrings and heels. Her long wavy light chestnut hair complimented her tanned skin as well as her big gorgeous hazelnut eyes.

"But who am I kidding, all guys are jerks. For all I know he could be lined up with fifteen girls on speed dial for a booty call or something." She chuckled. I frowned.

"Not all guys are bad," I told her. She scoffed. "No, seriously, take your brother for instance. He flew above the mockingbird –Hunter – when he was threatened. All the guys in my family are kind and Jake is just amazing, he's the coolest guy I know, any girl would be lucky to have him. He's just absolutely perfect, his hilarious, smart, kind and pretty good looking."

"You like him, don't you?" She asked.

I widened my eyes, caught off guard.

"Of course I like him," I stated. "But as a brother and best friend…" I said. "Forget it but what I'm saying is…not all guys are terrible and Seth, he's by far the nicest guy I have ever met."

She smiled. "I never had much luck in relationships. I just thought they were all the same but…when I saw _**him**_, I felt like my views could change…someday," She grinned uncontrollably.

"And they will…" I assured. "Just give him a chance,"

She nodded her head.

"Thanks, Renesmee," She told me, giving me a hug. "Now I just need to apologize to that smoking hot piece of _man_,"

I laughed as I followed her back in and we walked back to our friends. She immediately, without thinking, pulled Seth by the arm and taking him away from us.

I smiled.

I really hope they'd work out.

I mean obviously imprints work out right?

I turned to Jacob who was smiling at me…

And then I turned to Justin who was staring at me as well.

I sighed.

… …

"Renesmee I am so sorry," Felicity called out as she made her way inside the house again after we managed to chase everyone out of the house. I was currently cleaning up the mess.

"If it wasn't for Hunter and I, none of this…"

"Just forget it." I smiled at her. "It's okay. I forgive you; I know you didn't mean any harm. I wasn't expecting that, that's all."

She smiled at me slightly.

"Need help?" She asked.

I smiled. "Yeah sure,"

… …

**A/N: I just realized that I really need to shorten my chapters' lol, don't you guys think so?**

**Anyway, there you have it! The seventh chapter! A lot of things happened here. **

**Lizzie made an appearance, Seth came over to visit! Nessie's birthday! A birthday party gone wrong! A fight! A new imprint (Alex and Seth, my new obsession)! An adorable Jake and Nessie scene! A conflicted Nessie!**

**That's the whole chapter. Tell me what you thought of it and what you loved or hated the most about it.**

**And I'd like to thank you all for the support but I'd love to see new reviews! Don't be shy, all your opinions mean so much to me.**


	8. Chapter 8: Suspicion

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"You do know you're still being punished, right?" My mom told me, staring at me through the mirror glass on my dresser, as I began combing my hair.

My parents knew something was up the moment they came back from their weekend hunting trip. So I told my parents about my birthday party that happened on Saturday. I told them that there were 'more people than expected', thus calling it a party rather than a get together. I was honest, because having my father as well…my father, there's no way in wiggling my way through. I told them that Felicity got a mixed message and invited the whole junior body –and some seniors – and it was a total misunderstanding.

Although they understood, they still had to reprimand me.

"Yes, mother," I said, straining the word. She narrowed her eyes at me. "Sorry, but I still don't understand what I did wrong. It was a misunderstanding. I wasn't the one that actually threw the party."

"Yeah well, even if you didn't invite them over. It was your responsibility to look after the house, and although it wasn't your intention, you still broke the promise. I recall you said you'll be having five people?" She pointed out. I rolled my eyes.

"Well you should have thought of that before you left your seven year old daughter all alone in this giant house. I definitely need to call child services," I stated defiantly.

She laughed. "Oh, really? What will you do when they come over and find out that the 'seven year old' is actually a 17 year old teenage girl," She questioned, raising her eyebrow. "You can actually go to jail for that, sweetie,"

"Correction, I'll be going to juvenile! I'm still underage." I told her. She smiled, getting up from my bed and walking up to me, snatching my brush and began taking over where I left off.

"No. Your father and I know it wasn't your fault. We trust your judgement…because we trust Jacob." Momma laughed. I sighed. "Oh come on, your father and I needed to give you at least some type of punishment. As a mother I just thought it felt wrong to be so easy on my child,"

"Are you seriously trying to give yourself credit for being a good mother, right now?"

Momma thought for a moment. "Yes, I tried to slip that in."

I giggled.

"Look. Two weeks is not that bad." She told me.

"Not that bad? I have to listen to dad give him his lecture seminars for two weeks? I'd take being grounded over that any day,"

"Ever wondered why we gave you that exact punishment?" She teased. I sighed. "It's a good thing you apologized to Esme first because if it wasn't for that, she wouldn't have told us to go easy on you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Grandma Esme,"

After a few more minutes, my mom was done with my hair.

"Thanks mom," I told her. I reached for my iPhone and checked it to see that I needed to be at school in 15 minutes.

I glared at mom who was smiling at me.

"Why didn't you tell me I was late?"

She laughed and then bent down to whisper something in my ear, "Another form of your punishment,"

Seriously?!

She left the room almost immediately. I sighed, getting off my seat and running over to my bed to grab my Jimmy Choo black and diamond handbag –thanks Alice – and made my way out of my room.

I descended the stairs inhumanly and ran into the kitchen, grabbing an apple.

"Nessie…" Dad called out for me.

"Gotta run dad, I'm late!" I ran out of the car and hopped into my new car and made my way to school.

I made it there in five minutes. I inherited my dad's speed when it came to driving which scared the socks out of my mom.

As I parked my car in the valid parking, I slipped out of it to see lingering glances and stares from almost every student there.

"_**Look at Renesmee Cullen's new sweet ride!"**_

"_**Damn…"**_

"_**Look at that latest Jimmy Choo Lockett handbag. That hasn't even come out in Europe yet,"**_

"_**This has just confirmed my dreams! She's fucking sexy as hell, has a sweet ride and freaking rich."**_

"_**I wouldn't mind porking that,"**_

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Did I really attract that much attention?

Oh how I love high school…

… …

After homeroom, I made my way over to my first class which was AP Biology. I caught Felicity heading for the class. I waved at her and she ushered me to come quickly.

I laughed and met up with her.

"Get out of here!" She squealed as she jabbed her finger at my bag. She covered her mouth. "That doesn't come out until next year!"

I smiled.

"Oh, this gem?" I snorted as he stared down at the bag. "My aunt got it for me for my birthday,"

"I need to meet her. Like ASAP!" She stated. I laughed. "I'm serious,"

I smiled back as she and I both entered out class. We took our seats on the front side of the class whilst all the students seemed to congregate as far away as possible.

"Did you do the research report on Fibonacci Numbers?" I asked Felicity. She shook her head and shrugged.

"I didn't really have the time. Oh who am I kidding, I didn't care for it." She laughed. "However, since Mrs. Doyle is a wrinkly old hag, I don't think she'd remember."

I frowned. I scanned through the room to see that nobody really had a care in the world. Was I really the only one that did the research report?

"Sorry I'm late. I didn't think I was supposed to fill in for Mrs. Doyle today," Our trainee teacher, Ms. Maguire entered the room with a stack of books in her grasp.

A bunch of guys wolf-whistled from behind us, as they all transfixed their eyes on her behind.

Ms. Maguire was a training teacher at our school. Since Mrs. Doyle was at the age of retirement, the school had to hire a new stand-in Biology teacher. However, she's fresh off from college so she needed to learn the ropes of the school.

She was a very sweet teacher though, although, she was pretty rigid when it came to work that needed to be done. She didn't take any excuses.

Mrs. Doyle is out sick for the coming three months, so I'll be your substitute teacher from now on." She began as she stared at all of the uninterested faces. "Um…so I assume you all had a research report due today?"

The whole class fell silent; even one kid flew his paper plane in the air.

"And I'm assuming none of you did it. Great," She chuckled.

I slowly raised my hand up, stretching my arm with the file in my grasp. She smiled and took it.

"Thank you…" She strained.

"Renesmee," I replied.

"Well, Renesmee. Looks like you've earned yourself the first A in the class." She told me as she handed my report back. "Whilst all of you have to come up with a convincing excuse not to get a F minus,"

The class all groaned.

"There's no such thing as an F minus, Ms. Maguire," Felicity giggled as she rolled her eyes at the teacher.

"In my books there is," Ms. Maguire stated as she walked up to her desk, placing her name board in it.

Lizze. M. Maguire…

"Now, to refresh all your minds on what you've learned in the past semester," She began as she began circling around the class. "What is a fibromyalgia?"

Lance Rosati raised his hand up.

"Yes, Lance?" She called for him.

"Um…a type of food?" He stated, completely unsure of himself. Everyone in the class chuckled.

"Wow," Felicity giggled as she wrote in her diary.

"Ms. Stone?" Ms. Maguire called out. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Felicity sighed. "Well…I think a fibromyalgia is a widespread of pain in the muscles, a rheumatic condition symbolized by muscular or musculoskeletal pain with stiffness and localized tenderness at specific points on the body."

I widened my eyes. How did she know that? I didn't even know that!

"Well, Ms. Stone where did you learn that?" Ms. Maguire questioned, almost in complete shock and interest, using the same facial expression as the entire class.

Felicity looked panicked. "Um…well, I read it in the textbook?"

"It's not in the textbook," Ms. Maguire stated.

I could hear Felicity's heart racing. "Um…I guess I'm so obsessed with pain I just want to throw up!"

The whole class roared in chuckles.

Ms. Maguire didn't have any of that but just nodded her head.

I couldn't help but stare at Felicity. What was all that about?

Felicity met with my eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

"What?"

"Nothing," I shook my head and focused on the lesson.

The dismissal bell ended the lesson and we all lined out of the class. We spent two periods in AP Biology class.

Ms. Maguire was sitting by her desk, and sniffling her nose. I frowned.

"Are you okay, Ms. Maguire?" I asked.

"Oh, Renesmee, yeah I'm fine." She sniffed, her voice sounded like it was cracking. "Just some bad sinuses…or I'm crying at the fact that I got stood up last night by some hot jerk! I guess we'll never know."

I felt bad for her. She was a pretty girl for a human so I wouldn't understand why someone would stand her up. Maybe I haven't seen her personality enough…

"Want me to get you anything?" I offered, not exactly knowing what to do.

"Oh don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Thank you though," She smiled weakly. I smiled and nodded as I left the room and followed Felicity.

Felicity and I were making our way to Cafeteria.

We were passing by the dance class when I caught the sight of a familiar figure making jumps around the room. I frowned as I took a peek through the glass, to see that it was Alex.

I frowned, tilting my head over to Felicity and signaled for her to head to the cafeteria without me and that I'll follow. She nodded her head and made her way into the cafeteria.

I unfurled the door to where I was met with loud music. Hmm…this class is soundproof.

Alex hadn't acknowledged me until I cleared my throat. She gasped and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Oh, Renesmee!" she stated in shock, and ran over to the stereo and lowering the music down. "I didn't see you there,"

"I didn't know you danced."

"Oh yeah, it's nothing…" She chuckled, making her way over to me.

"That was most definitely nothing," I scoffed. She smiled. "How long have you been dancing like that?"

"I've been dancing since I was three and 12 years in gymnastics." She replied.

I nodded my head. "Were you here the whole period? Shouldn't you have been in class? Or I'm guessing you always skip class to dance,"

She laughed. "Free period," She told me. I nodded. "But I do skip class when the opportunity is there,"

I laughed.

"I just use this place to unwind my thoughts. I'm a little jumpy about the PSAT's coming up," She told me.

"Oh yeah, me too," I told her. "But I'm sure they won't be that bad,"

"Yeah, right! Like that'll ever happen." She laughed. "Sophomore year scores were terrible,"

I smiled. "Did you speak to Seth?" I asked her.

After Seth imprinted on Alex at my 'Party' last week, I wondered how he was taking it and how Alex was taking the whole connection between them.

Jacob told me once that a wolf will know when they've imprinted, it's this big thing where they feel like 'the cable chains holding them to the planet just suddenly disappear and there's only thing holding them together'. It seemed like he knew exactly how it felt. And oddly…I did too. Well I could imagine how it would feel.

I was worried about Alex though. She told me about her past relationships and how they never worked out. Even though, I knew Seth would never her hurt her, I was worried she wouldn't believe that.

But as Jacob says, the imprint is really big!

I mentally laughed at the analogy.

"Uh…yeah, we actually met up yesterday." She told me. My eyes bulged. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. It wasn't a date. We just…talked."

"And…?" I asked in hopefulness.

She shrugged her shoulders as if it was nothing, however, I could see a blush forming on her cheeks.

"He seems nice,"

"Nice? Just nice?" I questioned.

"He seems genuine, okay," She laughed as she made her way to grab her bag. "From what he tells me, you're all close,"

I laughed.

"Yeah, his buddies are just so awesome! They may be slobs but they hold conversation." I told her. She giggled as she got dressed in her clothes.

"I'm heading to the cafeteria, want to join?" I asked her.

She turned to me and gave me a small smile.

"Yeah sure,"

Alex and I left the dance class and made our way to the cafeteria. It was Burger Monday. I didn't exactly like burgers but I loved bacon so I obviously grabbed the bacon and egg burger. Hmm…

"Do they really have to have burgers on a Monday? I'd much rather prefer sloppy Joes on a boring day of the week." Alex stated with an eye roll. I laughed.

"Yeah," I smiled.

"So, are you sure you and Jacob don't have a thing going on?" Alex asked me, taking me completely off guard.

"What would make you think that?"

"I don't know. I saw you two that night, and the way he looks at you…it's kind of weird." She told me. I shook my head.

"No, Jacob is like my best friend. I practically grew up with him." I laughed, although, I felt a stir in my stomach as I said that. It was either I was really hungry or I wasn't sure of myself.

"So you'd date my brother right?" She asked me.

I smiled. "I don't know,"

"Well you should. He hasn't been in a relationship…well…ever," She laughed as we made our way over to a table.

Did I like Justin? I think so. But did I want to pursue a relationship? I don't know. He was pretty handsome in human standards but I knew nothing about relationships, I've never been in one.

I caught Felicity sitting by the bigger table of the room, surrounded by her friends and sitting on Hunter's lap as he and his jock friends laughed. She was wearing his Letterman jacket.

"Why don't we sit over there?" I told her.

She followed my gaze and scoffed.

"Oh the 'popular table' where egotistic people play…not my cup of tea." She stated. "Hunter Hamilton and Felicity Stone, the King and Queen of Oakland Woods High…they suddenly think they own the school. So don't waste your time,"

She took a seat on the table opposite our side.

"Do you have some sort of rift with them or something?" I asked her, taking a seat next to her. She sighed, swallowing a French fry.

"Nah," She laughed. I frowned. "Would you believe me if I told you, Felicity and I used to be best friends?"

I widened my eyes.

"Seriously?" I questioned in utter shock.

She laughed. "Yeah, we were friends back in the fourth grade but as we came to high school, things changed. I dated a once not-so-jerky Hunter Hamilton back in freshmen year. But I found out the hard way that he had Felicity on his right hand as well."

"Wait, so he cheated on you with Felicity?" I questioned.

What a bitch-face!

"The other way around actually," She told me. "Something Hunter told her made her think it was all my fault, and she hated me ever since. I did of course deny everything but she didn't take any of it."

"And she still stayed with him?"

"She was stubborn," She told me. "I just dropped it. But she made sure I got the revenge and made my high school life a living hell, still today."

"Wow…"

She nodded her head.

"Hunter's an asswipe," I told her. She chuckled.

"Yeah well, everyone knows that but his dad practically owns this school so everyone practically has to bow down to him." She told me.

"He's an asswipe, rich and he's a spoiled brat. Charming…" I stated sarcastically as I took a bite out of my burger. She laughed.

"Listen! Look what I found out…" Luke's hyperactive voice reached us as he and Justin took seats on our table. He placed a piece paper. "The serial killing case happening in the woods. You guys all heard about the hikers finding dead bodies in the woods and river last week, right?"

Alex and I stared at each other in confusion.

"Just go with it," Justin sighed.

"Um…okay," I said.

"I really don't care," Alex stated bluntly.

"Well I found out that the missing bodies weren't slaughtered by weapons…more like fangs,"

My eyes widened. Fangs?

"Fascinating," Alex stated with lack of interest.

"Not just any fangs but…wolf canine teeth," Luke whispered. I frowned.

"Luke, did you really have to steal this from your dad's case cabinet? You know he'll freak right?" Justin pointed out.

Oh right, Luke's father was Detective Fitzpatrick from the Californian, Oakland Woods Police Department.

"Just listen to this…look at the signatures. The undulations of the sinuous stroke are totally off, so I'm thinking they were forged…by the actual murders."

"So you're saying wolves signed the papers?" Alex questioned as laughed at the absurd accusation.

"No…but **werewolves** could've," Luke stated.

Alex laughed. "You're delusional,"

I could see Justin visibly shift at the whole conversation. Something about it made him uneasy, I wondered why.

"Listen…I hate to burst your unnecessary bubble but none of that exists. Right, Justin?" Alex asked her brother. Justin lifted his head up, staring between us all.

"Um…I guess not." He said.

Alex turned to Luke. "So I suggest you put those away before your dad murders you,"

"You know what, fine!" Luke retorted and shoved the paper into his backpack melodramatically. "I don't need your approval anyway,"

"What classes do you have Renesmee?" Justin asked me; looking quite relieved we changed the subject.

"History after this, then I'm heading over to Calculus, PE, AP Chemistry, AP English and Spanish," I told him.

"I guess I'll see you for History," He smiled at me. I smiled back.

A girl –with short brown hair with blond highlights, and piercing green eyes and dressed in a wavy outfit and a bandana– passed by us. Her eyes were lingering on Alex who tried to eye away from her gaze.

She sighed and walked away.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"That's her ex, Ashley!" Luke stated as he took a sip of his drink.

"Thanks for uttering the valuable information, dingus!" Alex seethed, gritting her teeth together.

"She had a lesbo stint in sophomore year. What was it you called it? 'Experimenting'?" Luke teased her. Alex jabbed a fork at his face. "Hey!"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Wait! So did that mean Alex was bisexual?

"I'm not gay if that's what you're thinking, Renny," She told me. "I just wanted to get away from boys for a while."

"Oh wow!" Luke laughed.

The bell suddenly erupted.

"Aww, come on! I didn't get to finish my cheese burger," Alex pouted. I laughed as we all stood up.

Justin and I both said goodbye to Alex and Luke as we went to our different classes.

"You seem to be integrating okay in this school," Justin told me as he adjusted his shoulder bag.

"It surprisingly easy to blend in." I laughed.

"So your friend Jacob…is he like a bodybuilder or something?" He asked.

"Nope, although I think he wrestles, he's a real dog." I laughed at the inside joke. "He's known as…The Alpha,"

"That sounds convenient enough," He chuckled. I giggled.

"Why? Are you intimidated by him?" I teased, staring up at him. He shook his head proudly.

"Nah,"

I laughed.

"Did you guys hear about the hot new teacher?" Felicity came up to us.

"There's a new teacher?" Both Justin and I asked in unison.

"Yeah, I hear he's super gorgeous it's unreal. He looks like an actual angel." Felicity giggled. "He's the new history teacher,"

"Justin and I are both going to History class," I told her.

"Well you guys are pretty damn lucky!" Felicity stated. "Give me all the dets on his hot bod," She whispered to me before running off.

That was weird.

I turned to Justin who just shrugged his shoulders at me as we both entered our class. I grabbed a seat at the back of the class since the whole class congregated already. Justin took one opposite my side.

"I wonder who the new teacher is," I whispered to him.

He shrugged his shoulders.

I then heard the light, slow taps of shoes making their way through the hall but that's the only thing I could hear through the loud class.

A sudden gush of wind came into the room.

"What is History?" I heard a croaky voice, with a certain loud bell to it. "In the dictionary format, history would be described as the study of past events, particularly in human affairs or the whole series of past events connected with particular a person or thing…"

The whole class fell quiet as a lanky, medium sized statue waltzed into the room. His aura was intoxicatingly alluring to everyone. His presence just made the whole room shift.

Dressed in a navy blue shirt, black tie, black pants and a formal leather jacket, the dashing man made quite an entry. He looked incredibly beautiful. You could see no flaw in him whatsoever. His skin was impossibly rich, like he bathed in a tub of milk, his dusky hair so luscious you could swear he conditioned it just a second ago, his face so rigid like a mountain rock but yet so calm like a seashell, his eyes were like the ocean but in its sunset time.

"But the question still remains…what is History really all about?" He questioned, saying it with such ease in his thick British accent.

Everyone's eyes were fixated on him, without contempt whatsoever.

"Good morning everyone, my name is Mr. Ainsworth and I'll be your new History Teacher," He grinned widely, flashing his impossibly milky teeth.

My eyebrows furrowed in question.

He seemed professional and he seemed nice. But something was off about him but I couldn't put my finger on it.

… …

As afterschool reached, I met up with Felicity.

"Did you meet the teacher?" Felicity asked in hopefulness as I stepped out of my classroom.

I nodded my head. "And…?"

"He's good looking I guess," I shrugged my shoulders.

"He's freaking gorgeous! Ugh!" She sighed, dreaming about him I'm guessing.

Didn't she have a boyfriend?

I laughed.

As we passed by Ms. Maguire's class, I heard her giggle uncontrollably as she talked to someone familiar. I slowed down and took a step back to see her talking to Mr. Ainsworth who seemed quite interested in her.

"Charles…"

His head darted towards me almost immediately and he frowned at me. When I could see his eyes, I literally had to blink twice because now they were…a flaming color of red! Almost bloodshot! They weren't like the ocean anymore.

I tuned into my hearing and realized that the only heartbeat I heard was Ms. Maguire's.

My eyes bulged in utter shock as I confirmed my thoughts.

Mr. Ainsworth was a _**vampire**_!

"Rens…" Felicity's voice drew my attention away. "You coming?"

I nodded my head.

… …

**A/N: DUN! DUN! DUN! Some drama happening! The new hot teacher is a vampire and taking an interest in Lizzie. The question is, is he good or bad?**

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	9. Chapter 9: Movie Night

**JACOB'S POV**

I woke up bright and early Monday morning. My assignment was due today so I was heading to the school, and I had to work my shift at the auto shop after that. People ask me why I needed a job since I had money left over from fixing locals vehicles back at La Push, and they ask why I need to school since I already had the skills. I guess I just wanted to have the opportunity to improve in my work.

I hopped out of bed and slipped my sweatpants on and made my way to my bathroom to take a leak. As I passed down my cramped hall, heading back to my room, I saw a large figure lounging on my couch.

I groggily askew my eyes, trying to get a proper look at the man.

Why was a random guy sleeping on my couch?

I sluggishly made my way over to the couch, and flicked the dude's ear.

"Stop it, Leah!" He moaned in his sleep, waving his hand around. I nodded my head.

Oh right! Seth was still here!

"Wake up, dofus!" I shouted against his ear and he immediately jerked up, looking completely alarmed.

"I'm up!" He snapped.

I bowled my eyes around as I made my way over to my refrigerator, unfurling it and grabbing the nearest thing I could reach. I slurped down a chunk of the milk carton.

"I was having such a wonderful sleep and then you came in to ruin it," He whined as he rubbed his eye folds. I scoffed. "What time is it?"

"6:30," I replied. He glared at me.

"Why am I awake bright and early?" He questioned. "And why is your couch so slippery, I couldn't sleep without falling over. Why can't I stay in your guest room?"

"It's my man cave. I'm not letting you interfere with my peace," I told him.

He actually believed I'd give him that luxury? Please, kid! You're the one who invaded my space at the end of the day.

"Why are you still here anyway?" I demanded.

Although, I knew exactly why he was here I just wished that wasn't the case.

"If I can get closer to Alex, I have to stay for a while," He told me as he got up to stretch. I rolled my eyes. "How do you deal with it?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned as I switched the steamer on and grabbing a cup from the cabinet. "Want some coffee?"

"Yeah," He replied. "I mean, with being able to stay away from Nessie. Having to assure yourself that she's okay wherever she is." He confided, entering the kitchen and positioning himself on the counter.

"Well. It's definitely the hardest thing ever, it's unbearable and every minute I'm not around her. I'm paranoid every time! It's the most painful thing." I replied to him truthfully. He stared at me in complete horror.

I sighed. Way to be subtle Jake!

"But, over the last 7 years, I've learned to accept that I won't be around her 24/7. And I have to tell myself that she's going to be okay," I mentioned. He sighed and nodded. "Is the calm-headed Seth being a worry-bug over a girl, hmm?" I mocked him, making kissy-faces.

He began throwing objects at me and I just laughed, covering myself.

"It's not funny, dude," He warned me. I chuckled. "I just met this girl and I can't stop thinking about her."

"She's your imprint. Your soulmate, you can't exactly stop thinking about her." I told him. He clenched his jaw. "Listen, it gets easier man. The thing that distracted me was managing the pack. And now that I don't have that, I guess working at the auto shop and college takes my mind off it."

"So I should get a job?" He posed.

I glared at him. Was he seriously kidding me?

"Hell yeah! You staying here is not a favor, bud," I stated, handing him his coffee and slapping his cheek lightly and then made my way over to the couch, lazing on it. I grabbed the TV remote and flicked it

He sniggered.

"Have you talked to the car girl, yet?" He pointed out.

Ah. Lizzie. Yesterday night she hit me up with a call, inviting me over for a drink at this old bar. I thought it'd be platonic but then I thought about how it wouldn't be that way for her so I did the one thing a jerk, would do.

I didn't go. I stood her up.

Yes! I'm a freaking inconsiderate little bastard but that's the best quality about me. I didn't know what I could do. I couldn't just shoot her down. I mean I met her at the mall seven years ago. Sue me!

"No." I replied.

"Are you serious?" He questioned, hopping off the counter. "You haven't talked to her about how you left her stranded at a bar waiting for your stinking ass? You do know you just flipped a ticking time bomb."

I frowned. "I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. I didn't know how to break it down to her."

"Uh…you could've just broken it down easy like a real man." Seth laughed at me. I didn't reply. "Girls are crazy! One slip and you can push them over the edge."

I sighed. I really didn't understand the female species and I don't think I will.

"Speaking of girls…how was your date with Alex?" I asked him, changing the topic.

His cheeks literally darkened and he flashed a small grin. Damn, he has it worse than I do!

"It was good. I really got to know her and she's a really fun girl, my mom will love her!" He stated, allowing his giddy side showing.

"You're already talking about letting her 'meet the parents'? Talk about taking it slow." I laughed. "But I can see why, I saw her the other day. She's got spunk!"

He laughed.

"Yeah…but I don't think we'll be heading down that road anytime soon. She told me about her past relationships, how they all never worked out and how she finds it hard to trust anyone ever again. She's afraid I'll be one of those pricks." He said.

"Let it take time. She'll grow into it." I assured him. Whoa! I guess Seth's optimism rubbed off on me.

"Yeah, I guess."

I took a glance at the clock and leaped off the couch when I realized I'd be late if I didn't get ready now.

"Dammit. I gotta head out before traffic becomes a bitch," I stated as I headed over to my room to prepare for my day.

… …

I made it to the school –but not without hassle when I left my 'assignment' on the toilet seat and had to go back and returned to a huge traffic jam. I'm glad I managed to make it before the students rolled in.

I rushed into my class where I ran into Meghan, a girl in my class who knew how to hotwire a truck.

"Whoa, easy there speedy," She laughed at me.

"Hey, Megs," I said to her with a hitched breath.

"Where are you in such a rush?" She grinned up at me.

"I need to hand this in…" I said, pointing at my assignment. "Yeah, I'll flunk if I don't hand it in on time."

"Ever heard of e-mail?" She teased.

I scoffed. Like I didn't think of an easier way?!

"Yeah, but my computer's fucked up so I had no other choice." I told her with my signature Jake smile. She nodded her head.

"Mmm, right," She giggled, twirling the tips of her copper brown locks. "Are you supposed to be somewhere?"

"Uh…yeah, I'm supposed to be at work in…" I said, glancing at my watch. "10 minutes. Which is why I really have to go, I'm sorry," I told her sweetly –well as sweet as I can be – and made my way past her but she just had to stop me.

Great!

"I could hand it in for you?" She suggested. I frowned at her. "I'm serious! I'm heading to the class anyway. I promise I won't take credit for your obviously hard written work." She laughed.

I contemplated for a second before sighing and handing the file to her.

"Thank you so much, I owe you!" I stated and walked away before I could get my time any more wasted than it already was.

I hopped into my car and drove full-speed over to the garage and ran straight into the station.

"You're late man," Dave told me, working on the vehicle that came in on Friday.

"Just two minutes," I told him, pulling my shirt off and shrugging on my uniform shirt.

"You're lucky I didn't need to cover for you. Boss is busy with a customer, all morning!" He told me.

Dave was the ass of the group. Even in his scraggy stature, he thinks he's able to take us down. He refers himself as the…'most noble' of all of us.

"Take a breather, Monroe," Mike slipped from under the car, drenched in grease. "It's not like he asked for your help anyway. And he didn't just come from a murder, so take a suck on it and stop PMSing,"

Mike always had our backs when Dave was having one of his little 'fits'. He reminded me the most of Quil in a sense that he's laid back and easygoing but sometimes his big ass mouth gets him into trouble with Mr. Rowdy.

Dave rolled his eyes.

"Don't you agree with me, Bobby?" Quil – I mean Mike – asked Bob who appeared from the restroom. "You didn't just take a shit in there, did you?"

"No, I didn't take a shit in there, Mike!" He argued. "Also, the toilet paper needs replacing."

We all groaned in disgust at the sickening thought of him releasing his wastes on the one place we take leaks. It was only one toilet!

"Every time, Bob, every time," I stated, shaking my head as I went over to grab my equipment and began to work on the vehicle I was assigned to.

Bob. The big ole' Bobster! He was this huge chunky guy who'd sit on you, probably fart in your face and leave you breathless…literally.

He was the quietest of us all, even in his large build, his shyness gets the best of him. But he does manage to maintain a serious side to him.

"Do you think Dave's a dick?" Mike questioned.

Dave looked pretty annoyed at that moment. Serves him right!

"No I don't think Dave's a dick." Bob replied.

"Thank you!" Dave gasped out in relief like a girl who just found out her heel never broke.

"But then again, he doesn't have a dick so…" Bob stated. Mike and I couldn't help the roars of chuckles from coming out. "I don't think we're giving him a proper title,"

"Okay, I got one…" Mike laughed, and then cleared his throat as he stared into the air. "The man with a small pus–"

"Thank you for meeting up with me, Mr. Reyes," Mr. Rowdy walked out of his office with his client, giving him a handshake. "I hope we'll meet again."

After the client dispersed, Mr. Reyes looked at all his staff and then at us.

"Get to work, boys!" He informed us.

"Yes, sir!" Mike saluted and then slid back under the car and continued on his work. Our boss entered his office and Mike reappeared.

"Pussy," He ended off his statement. Dave moaned and began kicking him whilst Bob and I just chuckled at the scene until they finally stopped.

"You told the girl yet?" Mike asked me, with a vacant look in his eyes.

"Which girl?" I asked.

"The girl you keep telling us about. Nessie. Have you told her you loved her yet?" Dave pointed out.

"She knows I love her." I told him. Why was he telling me a thing that's already established?

"No. I mean that you _**really**_ do love her." He told me.

I thought for a second. How would they know I loved Nessie when I didn't even know myself? It doesn't make any sense.

"I don't see her that way," I replied to them as I worked on the engine.

"Dude, we've seen the way you get whenever she calls or sends you a freaking 'Hello' message. She's got you messed up! You're whipped!" Mike stated.

"I'm not whipped," I scoffed at his accusation.

"I hate to break it to you, but sadly you are…" Mike told me again.

I didn't reply, just continued screwing. _Screwing! Screwing! Screwing!_

"You need to tell her man," Dave added.

I still didn't utter a word. And that would stay like that until they dropped the subject.

I could hear them sigh in defeat and got back to their work.

I heaved a sigh myself.

I need this day to end.

… …

When I was on the road after my shift heading back home, Nessie texted me to come over for Flick Night, just to make up for the movie night we were supposed to have two weeks ago. I thought it was weird at first but smiled and agreed to it anyway.

Seth would be fine getting food on his own.

I pulled up the Cullen driveway and slipped out, making my way into the house. It's so great not to be able to knock, and come up unannounced. I'd like to think I make them gag when I enter the room and my scent flowing freely in the air. Will sure put a kink during sex!

"Hey, blondie," I greeted the blonde as she passed by.

"Evening, dog," She replied but this time it felt different.

It wasn't as aggressive and she didn't come up with a pickup line. I frowned. Who shut her up?

I watched her ascend up the stairs in annoyance.

I entered the living room to see Edward and Bella pecking on each other.

"Gross," I stated as I entered the room. They groaned.

"Yes, Jacob?" Edward sighed, moving away from Bella.

"What happened to Queen Bitch?" I asked him. I heard Esme slamming a knife on a kitchen board. "Sorry,"

"Oh, Rosalie…she's uh…well, being Rosalie." Bella told me.

She may put on a show but I always knew when Bella was lying. She may not have that blush of hers but there's still other ways to tell even as a vampire.

But I asked myself the question…

Did I actually really care?

"Where's Ness?" I asked as I skimmed through the room to see no sign of her anywhere. "Movie night!"

"She's in the theater room." Edward sighed, his tone and facial expression looking quite agitated.

What's up with the emotions in this damn house?

I nodded my head and turned around.

"Oh, Jacob!" Bella called. I spun around to see a bowl of popcorn in her hands. I took it.

What was she doing with a bowl of popcorn when all she craves is blood?

I just let it slide as I left the room and headed to the home theater room where I caught Nessie sitting lower ground. I laughed.

"Well aren't you all alone and cozy," I called out.

I heard her beautiful giggle ring into my ears like a tiny drum. I began descending the steps until I reached her and took a seat next to Nessie who was draped in a silky throw blanket.

"Ooh, popcorn!" She squealed as she grabbed the bowl from me. I took a handful and threw some in my mouth.

"So what are we watching?" I asked her.

She pulled out a cover DVD that read 'Safe Haven' with a couple locking into each other's eyes filled with love and yearning for each other, their lips almost touching. It was pretty intense and cliché.

"Romance?" I asked. She giggled. "This isn't one of those Nicholas Sparks film adaptations, is it?"

"Yep," She replied, hopping off the seat and heading over to DVD player and slipping it in before coming back.

I stared at her. She stared back, shrugging her shoulders and then dropping them, showcasing her pouty lip.

"This is the only romance I have in my movie set. Can we take a break from action for one day?" She told me.

I sighed.

"Okay, fine," I replied. She squealed and sat back in her seat. "But if I fall asleep, don't blame me."

She smiled.

"So you promise not to make any interruptions?" She asked me. "And for the love of god, do not make fart noises this time!"

I shrugged my shoulders, raising my hands up in defense. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote and pressed play.

As the movie began, Nessie decided to place her head on my shoulder and puckering up to me. This time it felt kind of different for me. She did it occasionally when we had movie night, to the point where she fell asleep and it felt normal but this time it felt…weird.

And it felt good…

I smiled as the movie began.

Ten minutes in and I was already bored out of my mind. This movie sucked so much that I had the sudden urge to kill myself! But it's good that she liked it, I guess.

"This movie is terrible," I pointed out.

Nessie gasped and tapered her eyes over to me, sending me daggers.

"This movie is not terrible!" She argued. "It's a timeless love-story about a mysterious young woman who comes into a town where the locals raises questions about her past. She is determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draw her into two reluctant relationships. Despite her reservations, she lets her guard down. But even as she falls in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her…as pain and suffering continues on, she realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards…and in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven."

"And that's not cliché?" I asked her.

She thought about it before releasing a light blush.

"Yeah, it's pretty horrible." She giggled. I laughed along with her. I loved hearing her laugh; it brought me so much joy in my darkest times.

"So how was your day?" I brought up.

"I've had better," She sighed, her expression falling to worry.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing really, it's just something that happened in History class…" She trailed off, taking a moment before turning to me. "You know what? Forget it, it's nothing."

I frowned. Something told me she was hiding something.

"Hey, I promise. It's nothing." She reassured me, flashing me her cute smile.

I smiled back slightly.

"Where's Seth?" She asked me, completely not focused on the terrible movie.

"He's probably at my apartment, hogging the TV and devouring all the food in my fridge," I laughed and rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I'm glad he's here. At least we have something that we can call home," She giggled. I smiled back.

Her lips curved into a grin before she wrapped her arm around my arm and placed her head on my shoulder as she cuddled up to me.

"How convenient is it? That you're best friends with your best friend's daughter?" She asked, lifting her face up slightly to look at me. "Do you think it'll stay that way?"

It hit me.

Right then and there, my feelings were more evident and profound. All the feelings I've kept bottled inside and hidden have finally come out, staring into her eyes at this very moment.

I grinned. "Yeah," I replied, nodding my head slightly as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and extended my free hand to caress her soft cheeks lightly.

"I'd think we're a little bit more than just friends, though." I whispered to her.

Her breathing hitched as she stared into my eyes, the eyes that loved her unconditionally. She nodded her head.

"Yeah," She murmured indistinctively.

I planted my lips on her head, holding them there for a while, before she and I both enjoyed the not-so-good movie, in peace.

I didn't know what she meant when she said that but I solemnly hope she meant it in the same why that I did…

… …

**A/N: I'm just going to throw that at you!**

**I hope you enjoyed this lovefest! **

**Tell me what you all thought of this chapter. I enjoy writing in Jacob's POV.**

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	10. Chapter 10: Feelings and bowling

**A/N: Hey my lovely cinnamon rolls! Terribly sorry for the late update. Had such a busy month! Now I've been on winter break for quite some time now and I had this chapter up already but I had to spend a week with my boyfriend's/fiancé's family for Hanukkah celebration, since he's Jewish. It was a great experience but obviously you don't need to hear about my life so let's get to it.**

**Received so much love for the previous chapter and I thank you guys so much, but I'd like to see new people please guys? I love reading your reviews! Review!**

**OMG! It's almost 2016! Isn't that crazy? Hope you guys had a swell year.**

**This chapter is long just for you guys!**

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

Watching Jacob hop onto his bike and drive off was really hard. I wanted him to at least stay another two…no…20 more hours with me, watching soppy love –more like action – stories in the home theater room.

I had no idea why I felt this way. It's not like Jacob is the only person I think about, I mean I have my friends that could cure my funk but…sadly, and I felt like Jacob was the only one.

I mean…he was my first best friend.

Right?

I shut the door and began heading over to my room.

"I'm heading to bed everyone. Goodnight!" I retorted throughout the house. I heard a chorus of goodnight's before I entered my room.

I shut the door behind me, and that's when the sound of the TV screeching, my grandmother's humming stopped.

It was pretty convenient having soundproof rooms. Esme thought we needed as much privacy as we can get –especially when it came to my Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett. I'm pretty sure she got sick of those two.

I unfurled my drawer, grabbed my camisole and pajama pants and stripped down to slip them on. I then hopped on my bed and grabbed my MacBook and lifted it open to see the picture of my mom and dad –four years ago when they were in New Hampshire for school at Dartmouth – in the background. It was only for half a semester though, because they realized they couldn't stay away from me.

Ugh! Typical parents!

I smiled at the picture nonetheless and clicked the application and in popped a picture of darkness and the sound of things falling.

I frowned.

"Is anyone there?" I questioned.

More sounds of objects tumbling down reached my ears and I couldn't redeem my laugh.

"Are you okay there?" I asked.

"Huh?" I heard a startled voice appear and shifting of the webcam. "There we go. Yeah, everything's fine." The familiar man's face now appeared as he took a seat. He smiled widely.

I smiled. "Hey, Nahuel."

"Renesmee, we finally see each other again." He told me.

"Yeah over a computer," I scoffed and laughed. "Looked like you were having troubles with your…you know, 'Skype formation',"

"Oh yeah…this technology thing is getting to me. You'd think spending more than a century in this world; I'd know the ropes of it but sadly not." He pouted, releasing a low sigh.

I giggled.

"Unfortunate," I replied. He smiled. "Where are you, right now?" I asked as I noticed a door tag behind him and a woman dressed in a maid outfit walk into the room with heavy equipment.

"In a hotel somewhere in New York," He laughed. "Yeah, just came back from a tour at the Empire State."

"Aww, that's great! I've been to New York countless of times when my parents schooled there, yet I haven't been to the Empire State Building." I mused, giving myself an eye roll.

He chuckled.

"There's no fuss about it really, just that the view is pretty magnificent." He replied. I smiled.

"Have you been to the Statue of Liberty?" I asked.

"I'm heading there tomorrow. I heard Lady Liberty looks like a man but anyways," He told me.

I giggled and groaned in jealously.

"Ugh! Take me with you! Please!" I pleaded jokingly. He sniggered. I smiled back at him. "Well I'm glad you're having fun."

He grinned. "Yeah," He said. "Hey, I hate that I didn't get a chance to wish you…Happy Seventh Birthday!"

I sighed. "Thanks I guess. It wasn't really special."

"Your final year of aging is definitely something to celebrate." He informed me. I scoffed.

"Yeah but my free will isn't," I laughed. "I still don't think I'll be able to pull off the 21 year old card when I ever want to go clubbing."

"I'm a hundred and fifty-seven year old hybrid. Don't you think you're a little too young to be worried about that," He told me.

"Wow! Those are some big numbers. You know, I should probably add you to the list of people I wanna cheat off with, on my next history test. Your boring old stories can surely up my grades." I teased.

"Well I never!" He gasped, clutching his chest and huffing as if he was hurt. I giggled uncontrollably.

Nahuel and I talked a lot lately, over the phone, sometimes over e-mail but we recently started with Skyping and that surely helped. I got to know him a lot and he seemed like a really cool guy.

"So I'll be heading over to Oregon in a couple of months, and I'll be visiting a uh, a friend of mine over in Nevada so I'll probably stop by to see you some time." He suggested. I grinned.

"That would be great! Can't wait!"

He smiled at me. His eyes were transfixed onto mine for quite a while. Did I have something on my face? I hate it when that happens.

"What?" I giggled.

He just shook his head.

"How's school?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes.

"Such a bore!" I said. I'd be lying to myself though. "Okay it's actually really good." I rephrased. He laughed. "I don't know, something about the energy just makes me feel…good if lack a better word."

"Well I thought it was horrible."

"You went to school?"

"Yeah sure, the 157 year old hybrid is such a bore that he never had a typical childhood experience." He rolled his eyes. I smiled.

"I'm sorry; I just thought you never had time for school since...you know…" I trailed off, hoping he'd catch on.

"My father –more like gene donor – wasn't always after me; I had a life outside that madness." He told me. I nodded.

"That's good. Maybe you're not a hopeless old lost soul after all," I laughed.

"Ha ha," He mocked.

I chortled.

I heard a light tap on the door reach my ears.

"Come in," I replied.

The door suddenly unfurled and my mom's face popped in.

"Hey, sweetie, I just came to check up on you. I thought you'd be asleep," She said to me sweetly.

"Oh yeah, I'm just talking to Nahuel. He kept me up all night," I smiled, staring at the screen.

"Hi Mrs. Cullen!" Nahuel retorted like a six year old, grinning from ear to ear and waving vigorously at my mom. I rolled my eyes.

"Hello, Nahuel. I hope you're well." She smiled back and then turned to me. "Listen sweetheart, remember tonight's a school night so I don't want you staying up too long. You already spent a lot of time with Jacob."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I'll just say goodbye to Nahuel and get right to it." I told her. She smiled and took a step back.

"Bye, Nahuel!" She waved before shutting the door.

I turned to the screen.

"I gotta go," I replied.

'And you gotta go," He sighed. I smiled.

"We'll talk tomorrow?" I suggested. He nodded. "Night, Nahuel,"

"Goodnight Renesmee," He replied, giving me a wink before he suddenly disappeared.

I shut my laptop and placed it on my nightstand before slipping into the covers and turning the lights off, automatically drifting off.

… …

I was making my way over to my first class with Mr. Ainsworth. Oh! This wasn't going to be good. I almost ran over a dog driving here not so long ago which was by far the scariest experience of my life, now I have to start my day with my suspicious vampire teacher.

Yeah…no, not quite how I was expecting my day to begin.

I entered the class, sluggishly, well as sluggish as my hybrid feet can handle. I took my seat at my usual seat at the end of the class. I slipped my books and a pen out of my bag and placed on my desk.

I wasn't prepared for this. The last time I encountered an unknown vampire was when I bummed into one when I went hunting with Jacob. It was a terrible experience and I almost died! So was I confident this wasn't going to be the same situation? Not so much!

What if he was a rouge vampire coming after every student on campus like those lame TV shows. Maybe it was one of those Scream/Friday the thirteen moments except the killer isn't masked like Freddy Kruger.

Maybe that's why he's here? Maybe he's scraping brain matter and keeping it in his killer collection.

I should definitely confront my family about it.

However… I could be wrong about everything.

He could very well be a good vampire who craved human blood. I mean he seems nice. And he could very well be not a vampire at all…maybe the eye color change is some crazy contact lens hobby or the florescence!

"Are you okay?" Justin asked me.

I turned to him and nodded my head.

Although, I would be lying to myself.

"Good day class!" He swayed into the room with his briefcase, tight in his grasp and gently placed it on the desk. "How are we all feeling today?"

"Good…" All the girls hummed, flashing their dreamy eyes. I scoffed.

"That's lovely to hear," He stated, flashing an almost devilish/sweet grin to them. I noticed he was wearing the same blue eyes he had on the first time I saw him.

But this time it wasn't an ocean kind, it was almost like sky blue.

"Well let's get to it shall we?" He began the lesson and turned to his briefcase and opened it, ruffling through some papers for a while.

I wonder what he was about to pull out from there.

A fang?

I giggled.

After rummaging through the case for a few seconds, he then pulled out a small yet heavy-looking object to what seemed like a gun.

A gun!

The class all gasped and the scraping of chairs and table all present in sync.

"Students, calm down. This isn't real. Relax!" He told them calmly. "Although, it is the replica of a certain type of gun found in the late 1600s from where…?" He asked the class.

Everyone's eyes went blank.

I fixed my eyes at the familiar looking gun, that didn't look modern at all. I shifted my gaze over to Mr. Ainsworth, and noticed through my vampire sight, his contact lens slowly dissolving.

No human eyes could notice, but I could visibly see the flames forming around the iris.

I widened my eyes.

That could only mean he was a vampire…

He noticed my gaze on him and I immediately shifted away from him, beginning to jot something down.

"You Miss," He called out.

All eyes literally turned to me. I frowned, staring between all wide eyes and then at the teacher.

"Me?" I asked as if I was oblivious. Which I was totally not!

I can be a good actress when I need to be.

"Well who else would I be pointing at?" He asked rhetorically.

I frowned. "Well I think um…that's a turnover pistol crafted in the 1800s to a prominent French family."

"It's only been fired once." He added with a sly smile. "When was it originally made? And to whom was it for?"

"Well Louis the 14th in the 1600s I guess. It was a gift. He kept it as more of a pendent not really for protection. Then the war began," I said.

"Oh yes, the war that brewed among the Palace of Versaile." He replied. "But of course, Louis was a selfish king so we shouldn't be surprised:"

I frowned. "Why would he be selfish?" I questioned.

"Well he did ruin many people's lives, killed millions." He pointed out.

"Yeah but that doesn't mean he was a selfish king." I contradicted. He frowned. "You see, he only did what he did to protect his family, his kingdom."

"Yeah but that didn't need to resort to violence." He said.

"I guess we both have our own opinions on the situation." I told him straight. He seemed intrigue in what I had to say, nodding his head.

"What's your name?" He questioned.

I panicked.

Was I supposed to lie? Not in front of my students but could I tell the truth?

"Renesmee," My mouth managed utter. I widened my eyes. Why did I do that?

"Well Renesmee. You certainly do raise valid points. I hope I hear more of your say in the future," He grinned.

Creepy much?

As the class ended, I grabbed my bag and began heading out with the others.

"Renesmee," Mr. Ainsworth called after me.

I shut my eyes.

Dammit!

"Yes, Mr. Ainsworth?" I questioned as I turned to him. He smiled.

"You pointed out great points earlier." He told me.

"Thanks," I replied. "Is that all?"

He smiled brightly and shook his head.

"That's all," He said. I nodded and spun around. "Tomorrow we'll be studying the history on blood bathers. I'm pretty sure all you students would find that interesting."

My eyes bulged. Did I hear him correctly? Blood bathers?

Oh my god! Did he know I was a vampire?

"What?" I asked as I turned around. "Blood bathers?"

"Vampires. Have you ever heard of them?" He questioned cheekily.

"Um…well who hasn't heard of vampires before?"

"Well I'm interested to know if they're real. Do you think they are?" He asked me.

I frowned. What was his angle here?

"Hopefully not," I told him with a light chuckle.

He smirked and nodded his head.

"You're not like most girls on campus." He said randomly.

Well thank you? I didn't think there was any category.

"I don't think so; I'm just an ordinary teenage girl." I told him.

He stared into my eyes for a very long time; he stood there like a statue without a blink, not moving a muscle.

"You're dismissed," He simply told me.

Oh wow! I didn't think this was a formal meeting! But how generous of you kind sir!

I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Thank you," I said.

"Renesmee Cullen!" I heard Alex's eyes reach my ears. I spun around to see her entering the room. Charles Ainsworth's eyes darted at me at the mention of my last name.

Oh no! He was on to me now!

"We need to make it to the Cafeteria before the line becomes a bitch – I mean hey Mr. Ainsworth!" Alex waved. "How ya doing?" She said with a fake smile before pulling me by the arm.

I turned to the teacher who flashed a small smile at me but his eyes were filled with shock and anger.

"That teacher creeps me out. No one is that good looking," Alex rolled her eyes and gagged. "Well not until you, of course but that's unreal."

"Yeah," I laughed along with her.

Definitely unreal…

… …

Alex and I grabbed our food after making it to the cafeteria on time.

"God! I got an A on my Physics exam," She groaned. I frowned.

"That's not bad," I told her.

"It's great but now I'll have to change it to a B to convince my parents I didn't cheat." She stated.

I laughed.

As we were making our way over to the table, Justin appeared.

"That's nothing; I got an F on my Econ assignment. I had Gerald as my partner," He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Gerald McFartypants?" Alex questioned. Justin nodded. "Aww! That's bad. Sofia's going to have your ass for dinner."

"Sofia?" I asked in confusion.

"She's my mother," Justin told me. I nodded.

"Profound Momma's Boy! Those two literally do everything together. I'm pretty sure mommy still baths you, doesn't she baby woozy!" Alex teased, making kissy faces at Justin.

"Alex, you know what fuck you!" He shouted at his sister, although a slight blush formed on his cheeks.

I grinned. So cute! He was a momma's boy!

We took our place on the table.

"Luke!" Alex stated with fake enthusiasm as the tall, scrawny boy made his way over to us.

Luke appeared almost immediately and chowed down on his food.

"Whoa! A simple hello would be nice." Alex said, looking appalled. Luke didn't reply. "What? No smart question now? Cat got your tongue?"

"He's on a major timeout." Justin laughed. "He and I bet on how long he'll be able to stay quiet without saying something smart."

"I bet 10 bucks he'll crack and won't last five more seconds." Alex challenged. Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "Five…" She began the countdown. He rolled his eyes. "Four…" She continued. Luke began to stiffen. "Three…" His lips quivered before he released a heavy sigh.

"So apparently there's a new Star Wars movie coming out in two years!" He retorted, slamming his fist on the table.

"I believe I stand corrected. Three seconds. That's an all-time record!" Alex gasped. I laughed.

"Can you literally stop talking for even a few minutes?" Justin asked his best friend as he stuffed his face with food.

"Not even in my sleep!" Luke replied with a heavy mouthful.

"We could wrap you up in duct tape?" Alex suggested.

"I'll still find a way," Luke replied, taking a chunk out of his food.

"We will literally cover your mouth with lasting superglue!" Justin said.

Luke shrugged. "Still find a way,"

"I guess the only thing that will make you speechless is non-other than Felicity Stone," Justin said.

Alex groaned at the mention of her name.

"Ugh! I'm sick of that ugly name flying around." She sighed. "I don't know what the big deal is over her!"

"Hey! She's a gorgeous, beige blonde haired with raspberry highlights girl! She's not some chick you meet at the mall okay!" Luke defended her. "She's one of those women who you meet at a bar and drink cocktails instead of beer, she's not the girl who owns vintage flee market chairs, she's a classy lady okay!"

"So why don't you just tell her you like her?" I laughed.

"It's not that simple…" Luke replied. I raised my eyebrow. "I can't just ask her out? My heart is too young to handle rejection."

"Yeah and also you tend to get a little anti-Luke whenever you're around her. You get squeamish, stumble on your words, make random dance moves, lame jokes, and wander off to an equation nobody understands. All classic symptoms of reverse chick magnet," Justin teased, staring at me. I giggled, pushing him away.

"It's not that easy okay! I still haven't updated my dating profile! I'm not on the market and never will be." Luke replied in his defense.

"Maybe it's because you can't even get yourself on the market." Alex stated. "But I do think you can do a lot better."

Felicity and Hunter began making their way over to us.

"And the wicked witch makes her way! Here she comes!" Alex sighed, rolling her eyes and throwing her food on the plate.

"Hey friends!" Felicity greeted happily, with Hunter's arm draped around her waist. She turned to Alex. "Other…"

"Mhmm, ha ha," Alex replied with a fake chuckle and nodded her head.

Felicity sighed.

"So what are we talking about?" Felicity asked, taking a seat on the chair and leaning against Hunter who grabbed Luke's food and ate it.

"Uh, just homework and random stuff," I replied.

"Yeah," Luke replied. "Why is she sitting with us?" He whispered to Justin.

"Get up!" Hunter told a kid off as Dominic came into view and he told a freshman to scoot from his chair and grabbed it, taking a seat with us.

"How come you never tell Dominic to get up?" The freshman asked.

"That's because Dominic's not staring at my girlfriend's key lock, ding bag," Hunter laughed and then watched the kid run off before turning to us.

"So get this, they're saying there's some kind of animal attack. Probably a cougar," Dominic stated.

"A cougar is a mountain lion," She said confidently. "Right?" Felicity asked, looking unsure of herself. Hunter chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"Who gives a damn?" Hunter said, tilting his head over to Alex who didn't even glance back. "They're probably hobo tweakers who were gonna die anyway."

"You know what? This has been fun and all but I better get going," Alex dismissed. I looked up at her and she gave me a smile before she left.

"Can we talk about something slightly more fun? I don't know like, where are we going tomorrow night?" Felicity said, not even acknowledging her departure.

"Well I'm probably not going to be doing anything. I've got some studying to do anyway," I declined.

"Yeah…uh…same,"

"Oh come on! It'll be fun. You, Justin, Hunter and I. The four of us. I'd rather have a good time then watch stupid cat and dog videos on YouTube." Felicity stated.

"Just the four of us?" I questioned. She nodded.

Luke rolled his eyes, stuffing his mouth.

"You wanna know what else sounds good? Stabbing myself in the eye with a fork, I'll have a good time doing that." Hunter chuckled.

"Come on. Baby…" Felicity pouted. "How about arcade and bowling'? You love bowling'!"

"Yeah, when there's actual competition." Hunter scoffed.

I rolled my eyes.

Hunter is such a cocky little twerp! I wonder if someone dropped him when he was a baby to make him turn out like a jerk. Surely someone needs to teach him a lesson.

"How do you know we're not actual competition?" I teased. Luke grinned widely and made a brawling noise. "You can bowl, right?"

"Kind of," Justin replied.

"Kind of or yes?" Hunter questioned impatiently.

"Mostly yes. In fact, I'm great. I'm a championship bowler." Justin stated, looking at him in the eye.

Hunter scoffed.

"Yeah, right,"

"So it's a date?" Felicity asked in hopefulness.

"Sorry, my dad won't even allow me to go out when there's a killer on the loose." I shook my head, getting up and grabbing my bag. "Maybe next time though."

The end of lunch period bell reached us and all of us headed to our next classes.

… …

When I got home, I tiredly opened the door and entered the house and made my way over to the living room where I caught Jacob lounging by the couch, watching TV.

"Jake!" My eye bulged and I immediately ran over to him, jumping on him. He laughed.

"Nessie, calm down!" He retorted with a laugh.

"You're not working today?" I asked.

"Yeah, my boss sent us off for a day off and I thought not spend my day with my favorite girl." He said.

"Sweet," I cooed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" He asked, placing his arm around my waist.

Was I supposed to feel shivers running down my spine when he did that?

I slowly diverted my eyes over to his arm and then at our position.

I've sat on Jacob's lap since the day I was born and it felt normal to me, but why did it feel different?

"Uh –" I paused as I began shifting off of him and sitting opposite of the couch. "It was great, I guess." I replied.

He noticed my sudden movement and his face immediately turned awkward, and guilty as if he did something wrong.

Mom and Dad suddenly popped out of nowhere with their hands intertwined.

"Renesmee, I didn't know you came back from school. I must've been distracted." Bella greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh I'm sure you were," I giggled as I turned to my dad who gave me a small smile.

"Jacob I'm glad you're keeping this little delinquent company," Mom teased. Jacob grinned his Jacob-y grin.

"Hey!" I defended.

"I wouldn't say she's a delinquent," Jacob stated. I turned to him and smiled.

Thank you! At least someone understands!

"She's too good to pull it off," Jake teased.

I narrowed my eyes at him and folded my arms.

"Is that so?"

He nodded his head.

"Oh yeah,"

"A lot of big talk Alpha! Want to put your money where your mouth is?" I challenged. He grinned crookedly and leaned forward.

"Bring it on," He murmured huskily.

My stomach stirred as he said that. It was as if his words sent triggers to my body. Nobody ever had that effect on me!

My cheeks turned into a deep scarlet as I shied away from his piercing gaze, and focused my eyes on his shirt. I could visibly see the outline of his abs and his pecs.

I thought Jacob was a really big guy and had a great physique. But I never thought I'd enjoy gawking at it, mesmerizing it…

Until now…

I had no idea what was happening to me. Why was I noticing him so much? Why had I just suddenly realized the beautiful color of is eyes and how warm he is when I'm in his arm? Why did I always feel happy whenever he entered the room? It's probably just a feeling of seeing my best friend but…

My eyes reluctantly shifted back to his eyes to see him smiling back at me. I couldn't help but return it.

Then something popped into my mind.

We weren't alone.

I turned to my parents to see my mom with a confused expression whilst my dad's eyes were in pure fury, yet his posture seemed calm.

"Jake. Outside! Now!" Edward demanded as he left the room,

"Edward," Mom sighed as she watched her husband leave the room. She turned to Jacob.

Jacob released a heavy sigh and hopped off the couch.

I frowned. What did Jacob do?

He smiled at me, as if he read my mind and stroked my head before following dad's tail. I turned to my mom who shrugged at me, although I knew she was lying.

"So Christmas is in a month," Mom whispered to me.

I laughed. "Mom, why are you worried about something that's a month away?"

"That's because that's the date Grandpa Charlie and Sue are getting married." She told me. I widened my eyes,

"Oh my god! That is awesome! So soon but I literally can't wait!" I shrieked. "What am I going to wear?" I gasped.

She laughed. Mom and I were talking about my day at school, and how her day was when Jacob and my dad came back after an hour and a half.

"Were you guys giving each other homemade recipes or something?" I laughed as they made their way over to us.

Dad smiled. "Just talking,"

Jake took his seat next to me and grabbed the remote. He didn't even turn to me once.

"Are you good?" I asked him in concern.

"Yeah," He nodded.

"What were you guys talking about?" I questioned.

"Nothing," He simply replied.

I frowned. Why had his mood changed? What did my dad say to him? What did my dad do to him?

I turned to my father who seemed to be avoiding my eyes as well.

I rolled my eyes.

The doorbell went off almost immediately.

"I'll get it," I informed, hopping off the couch and heading to the door.

I unfurled the door to see Justin standing there with his hands in his pockets, dressed in a suede jacket and dark denim jeans.

"Hey Justin!" I greeted with a bright smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I actually came over to ask if you're going to the bowling night tomorrow." He asked. "I know you're studying and all, but maybe it'll be cool to get out?" He suggested.

"I don't know."

"I was heading there myself anyway. I was wondering if you'd come with me?" He asked. "If you're not too busy,"

I thought for a second and began hesitating.

Wait, why was I hesitating? An opportunity to spend some time with friends was on my doorstep!

I tilted my head to the side to see Jake staring back at me, with eyes of dread.

"I-I think something might pop up so I don't know…"I said turning to Justin.

"Don't worry, there's no pressure. Maybe some other time," Justin smiled and began descending the steps.

I turned to Jake, I needed one good reason why I shouldn't be going to that date with Justin tomorrow. I wanted something to tell me that it was a bad idea. I wanted Jake to convince me not to go through this decision.

I was hoping that the conflicting feelings weren't just one-sided. There needed to be something there…

But all I got was a Jacob who couldn't even fix his eyes away from the TV to even notice me.

I sighed,

I was being delusional.

I narrowed my eyes at Justin.

"You know what?" I brought up. "I'm free tomorrow night."

His eyes widened and he beamed.

"Oh, that's great!" He laughed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sounds great," I said with a smile.

He walked off and I shut the door.

Well that happened.

… …

The next day went by in a flash and the next thing I knew, I found myself at a bowling alley with my friends.

I was currently slipping on my bowling shoes and looking for the perfect ball. The alley was great! It had an awesome party themed to it. It was a glow in the dark theme and a disco ball was placed at the center of it, next to it was a huge gaming alley so it was pretty awesome.

"You look like you know your stuff," Justin's voice reached mine as I carefully picked out the perfect ball.

I grinned. "I used to bowl with my mom and dad. When was the last time you bowled?" I asked as I made my way to the pit.

"Uh at a Christmas Party," He replied. I laughed. "When I was ten," I heard him mumble.

I smiled.

"Right, Felicity, you're up!" I told her as I took a seat.

She took a deep breath before getting up and waltzing over to the aimer with a ball in her grasp.

Hunter immediately ran up to her and draped his arms around her, kissing her neck and she giggled.

He helped her swing the ball, but unfortunately landing on the gutter. The same thing happened after two times, and not hitting one pin.

She groaned. "I'm so terrible at this,"

I smiled and got up when it was my turn.

I rolled the ball and it landed a strike.

I grinned widely and made a little jump.

Felicity gasped. "Somebody brought a competitive edge," She said.

I smiled, taking a seat next to Justin.

"Nice shot," He told me, giving me a fist bump.

Hunter's turn was up.

He rolled his ball in an awkward, cocky way but shockingly landed a full strike. I rolled my eyes.

Felicity squealed. "Go, baby!"

Hunter bowed down before heading back to his seat next to his girlfriend, draping an arm around her shoulder.

"You're next, Mazlow!" He sighed, both of them glaring at Justin.

Justin's breathing hitched as he turned to me and slowly got up from his seat. He grabbed his ball and unhurriedly made his way to the center. He looked to the side to see all these people landing both strikes and spares, doing quite well and he gulped.

"You can do it, Justin," I told him.

Hunter and Felicity just laughed and grinned in anticipation.

Justin exhaled a deep breath and let his ball slide…only to see it slide over to a totally different direction over at another post.

Hunter roared with laughter, clutching his shirt and throwing his head back uncontrollably whilst Felicity tried to stifle her giggle.

I was about getting sick of him!

"Hunter?" I questioned. "Mind keeping your mouth shut?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm flashbacking to the words, 'I'm a championship bowler'. Doesn't seem to ring a bell," He sniggered.

"Maybe he just needs a warm up," I told him.

"Yeah, or maybe he needs the kiddies beginner survival kit," He snickered. Felicity giggled, slapping his chest.

I narrowed my eyes at him, giving him a slight once-over and stared at him in disgust.

Justin sighed.

"Just…just aim for the middle, you'll make it." I instructed him. He nodded.

"Yeah, how about you aiming for anything except another person's gutter?" Hunter teased.

"Let him focus, will ya?" I huffed in annoyance.

Justin turned to me and I smiled back at him sympathetically. He breathed in a sigh before turning back. He waited for a while before making his shot, rolling the ball.

It seemed to have been going well this time as I watched the ball make its way to the middle pin. I grinned in hopefulness but fell when the ball made it to the gutter…again.

"Whoa!" Hunter applauded. "Yeah, way to go Mazzola! Perfect shot! That'll be for the record books, nice pro!" He teased.

"Shh," Felicity giggled.

Justin took his seat next to me. I patted his thigh.

"Don't worry about it. We only just began," I informed him.

He nodded his head, but he wasn't convinced.

As time went by, whenever it was his turn, he'd always never make it through one pin!

Hunter and Felicity were on the verge of insanity to add onto it. Hunter being the douche he is, kept making Justin feel small. I felt extremely bad for him and hopped off my seat and headed over to him to comfort him.

Something else was bothering him and I didn't know what.

"I think you're thinking too much," I whispered to him.

"Sorry, I know I'm making things worse." He said.

"No, no, of course not." I assured him. "I just –I just wouldn't mind shutting them up, especially Hunter, so just clear your head and think about something else." I suggested as I wrapped my arms around his long arm.

He sighed.

"Think about what?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know." I said. "Me?" I brought up. "Think about me…"

And with that, I ran back to my seat leaving Justin a little struck. I grinned.

Justin took a second to register himself before making his shot which sent the ball flying and hitting the pins straight from their spot. My eyes widened and I covered my mouth.

He did it!

"You did it!" I shouted.

"What did you say to him?" Felicity asked in shock.

"Um, I just gave him something to think about."

Even though it helped, I didn't feel quite good about it.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I checked my phone to see Jacob's Caller ID. I sighed and ignored it. I didn't want to think about Jacob right now.

We played another six rounds or so, and oddly enough, Justin was in the lead.

"That's seriously amazing!" I gasped.

Justin took his seat.

"Uh, Hunter?" I said, staring at the jealous boy. "How many strikes is that?"

"It's seven…in a row." He muttered gruffly, punching the buttons and rolled his eyes.

I smiled. He was just jealous that a guy just beat him in his own game…or should I say games?

"I don't know, something just clicked I guess."

I noticed Felicity eye Justin suspiciously and began gnawing her bottom lip, scraping her fingers like a hungry lioness and got up on her seat.

"Maybe, it's just amazing talent," I told him.

"I could soak up some amazing talent." Felicity murmured, giving him a once over and standing in a flirtatious stance. "Mind helping me out this time, Justin?"

Justin turned to me. I shrugged.

"Nope, I think you'll be great. Go for it!" He grinned.

Felicity looked like she got stabbed in the face and sighed.

"Okay…" She scoffed. "I guess I should thank you for the vote of confidence!" She stated before marching over to the post and grabbing a ball.

"Let me help you," Hunter got up.

"Sit down. I want try it on my own, okay?" She pressed.

Hunter looked angry and rejected for a second, before nodding and paving the way for her. She rolled her eyes and sighed and turned her focus around, aiming for the black and white pins.

She rolled it and made it with a strike.

She squealed but then calmed herself down when she noticed our shocked faces.

She took her place next to her boyfriend, hardly acknowledging his presence.

"I think I'm getting quite good at this."

I gasped. I'll say!

"That was like a perfect shot!" I retorted.

She frowned and twirled the tips of her hair, looking dumbfounded.

"Was it?"

I sighed, leaning forward and whispered,

"Maybe you should stop pretending to suck just for his liking," I mentioned to her.

She giggled.

"Trust me. I do _**plenty**_ of **sucking **just for his liking," She told me, emphasizing those two words in a raunchy way.

I nodded my head and moved back.

I see…

"How about pizza?" Justin brought up. I laughed.

After the game, we all got up, got ready to leave the bowling alley before we heard the sound of glass windows shattering and sounds of screams.


	11. Chapter 11: Mystery

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"_**Honey, be careful out there," My overprotective, loving mother expressed to me. **_

_**My three year old soul –more like twelve when we're talking theoretically – wasn't yet accustomed to being annoyed by my overprotective parents, so I thought it was normal for them to worry about me. It made me feel special.**_

"_**I will," I smiled brightly at her. **_

_**Dad came into the room and came to my mother's side, wrapping an arm around her waist.**_

"_**I can't believe it's happening." He cried out.**_

"_**Our little girl's all grown up." Mom whispered, with her voice cracking. "I just can't –"**_

"_**Oh come on guys. You could swear you're crying over your daughter leaving for college." Alice came into view. She focused her eyes up at my parents. "She's just going to her first hunting trip, alone!"**_

"_**That's just as bad!" Edward laughed sadly.**_

_**I just smiled at them. **_

"_**Edward. Calm down, you've still got at least four years left before she leaves the nest." Alice told him.**_

_**Edward's eyes darkened and his facial expression sank.**_

"_**Thank you for the unwanted reminder, Alice!" He stated, groaning in annoyance. **_

"_**I can just imagine a certain somebody's face when he sees how grown up she is. Oh! Sparks will fly! Love will be in the air!" Alice squealed.**_

_**I frowned. What did she mean?**_

"_**Did you ever think about shutting up for once?" Edward retorted.**_

_**Alice gasped and placed her hand on her chest.**_

"_**Well rarely have I ever!" She puffed.**_

_**As my aunt and father continued on their bickering, my mother came up to me and bent down so she was in length with me.**_

"_**Are you ready for this?" She asked me.**_

_**I nodded my head truthfully.**_

_**Ready as I'll ever be.**_

_**In just a blink of an eye, an hour has passed and I founded myself draining my second deer. **_

_**Hunting with my family was amazing; it was an act where we were able to do things together. Not only did I feel a kind of joy but I felt safe and guarded with them.**_

_**Hunting for the first time on my own was a different experience for me. I had a strong feel of rush, and I felt free. **_

_**I stared down at the unconscious body of the animal and I gave a sympathetic look.**_

"_**I'm sorry," I said to the lifeless body. "Hopefully I'll be careful on the teeth placement next time," I giggled.**_

_**As if on cue, the sound of the angry birds came and they flew away from their natural habitats in the trees. **_

_**I then heard the sound of the ruffling of leaves and my head jerked up. I sniffed the air of the summer breeze.**_

_**Something wasn't right.**_

_**I suddenly felt the ground shaking uncontrollably, as if something had dropped a gigantic wrecking ball and caused an eruption on the earth's surface to shift, it felt as if the sixth continental drift will appear.**_

_**The earth was having a seismic reaction. **_

_**I shot my head up to see a gigantic herd of deer coming my way**_

_**Oh no! They weren't here to deal with her for killing their best friend were they?**_

_**My initial thought would've to get up and make a run for it but my body just sat there, eyes widened in complete horror.**_

_**I couldn't move. **_

_**As they came closer, I suddenly decided to act fast and got up on my feet and began sprinting away.**_

_**I ran as fast as my hybrid feet could carry me. Even with my superhuman abilities, the animals could still catch up on my tail.**_

_**We were running through the woods, fighting for our lives, running for our lives.**_

_**If I had ever thought about dying, this would've definitely been a good way to go. **_

_**I turned my head around slightly to see the deer heading to a different direction. **_

_**I frowned when I saw all of them taking the same course. They weren't running for me, they were running away from something they were afraid.**_

_**My legs began slowing down so I could catch a breath.**_

_**But my plan had been shunned when I heard a menacing, vicious growl coming from behind me. I spun around to see a huge cougar, crouching to the ground, bearing its ferocious canines, ready to pounce for me.**_

_**This cougar made the deer look like chumps. Made them seem like chopped liver.**_

_**Although, I'd think it would enjoy that.**_

_**Especially the liver that came from my body...**_

"_**Holy crap!" I gasped before I ran for my life –literally. **_

_**I sped so fast, I was sure it wouldn't catch up with me but the malicious animal wasn't backing down without a fight. **_

_**I could feel the teeth come into contact with my shirt.**_

_**Oh god! I was going to die! I was going to die right? This was where I met my doom? As a mountain lion's lunch!**_

_**I shut my eyes, feeling ready for my impending defeat as I slowed myself down to a halt.**_

_**I wished I had said goodbye to my parents.**_

_**I wished I had said goodbye to Jake…**_

_**The last thing I heard was a looming snarl come out of him before I heard silence.**_

_**I gasped when I didn't feel pain on any parts of my body.**_

"_**What?" I said, spinning around reluctantly to see that the cougar was nowhere to be found.**_

_**A cold hand tugged my arm and I released a clamorous scream.**_

"_**Hey, hey, hey, it's me!" My mother's voice reached me as I felt her hands hold my face in her hands. "Shh, shh, it's okay!"**_

"_**Mom," I squelched, with my voice completely cracked and vicious tears falling off my cheek. I threw my arms around her and I felt her lift me off the ground. **_

"_**It's okay. Sweetheart, you're okay." She consoled me, stroking my head.**_

_**I could've died today.**_

"_**How did you know?" I asked as I pulled away from her.**_

"_**Your father and I couldn't have just let you go without checking up on you." She said with a smile. I smiled weakly. "But hey, listen. It's okay. I won't let anything happen to you. Even when I'm not around, you know why?" She asked.**_

_**I shook my head. **_

_**She then stretched her hand to grasp the locket that dangled off my neck to my torso.**_

"_**It's because you have this." She reminded me. "No matter wherever you are, in situations like these, your father and I are always with you." **_

_**I smiled and nodded my head.**_

**END OF FLASHBACK…**

My focus was now completely on what was currently happening.

The people in the bowling alley were running around, screaming for something they had no idea they were running away from. None of us had a clear idea of what was happening, but that was until we heard gunshots appearing from the doors.

"Everyone hide!" The men shouted as they shot at something.

I glared at my friends who were just as shocked but we obliged almost immediately, running over to the bar and hiding behind the table.

"What the hell is happening?" Felicity raised – her expression in complete shock.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Who are those guys?" Hunter questioned.

"I think they're cops." Justin stated.

"Are they really cops?" Felicity asked.

"What are they shooting at?" I posed.

Simultaneously, another gun fire had been shot and more screams appeared. Glasses had been shattered, fluorescent tube lightbulbs were cut out of their misery.

I slowly began lifting my head, but I felt a tug pull me back.

"What are you doing?" Justin half-whispered, half-shouted at me.

"I want to see what's going on." I told him.

"What if they see you?" He questioned.

"They won't," I assured him.

He stared at me like I was crazy for a second before sighing and nodding his head, reluctantly letting go of my arm.

I lifted my head over the bar, to see two men dressed in army-vice jackets and khaki shorts, carrying rifles and AK-47's walking around while one stood outside. They seemed to have their focus on something else and not the screaming groups of people.

When one of the men shot their gun over at my direction, I immediately shot my head down.

"What is it?" Felicity asked me.

"There are three of them," I gasped out. "I don't think they're cops." I told them.

"Who the hell are they then?" Felicity asked.

Justin decided to take a peek for himself.

"Renesmee," He whispered to me. "Didn't you say there were three of them?" He asked. I nodded my head. "I only see two guys,"

"No. It can't be." I stated as I sat up and followed his gaze.

There. The one guy just stood guard outside, whilst the other began roaming around the room, looking presumably unaware that their friend was nowhere in sight.

And then in a blinding flash, he just completely vanished into thin air.

My eyes bulged.

What the freak show hell?

I turned to Justin who wore the same expression as I did.

"What happened?" Hunter demanded.

"They disappeared. They literally just vanished." I stated as both Justin and I sank down.

"What the hell is happening?" Felicity's eyes bulged. "I'm freaking out! I don't want to die like this. I'm still waiting for my new Chanel bag that's being flown in from France and I don't want to die until I get my hands on that!"

"God! Is that all you care about? Yourself?" Hunter snapped, glaring at his girlfriend. "Just once can you think about something that doesn't involve your pleasure?"

"Don't be hypocritical. You should have thought about that before you dated me." She shot back. He rolled his eyes and began mocking her.

"Can you both shut up?" I snarled. They glared at me but fell silent. "Now can we all just figure out how to get out of this mess?"

"Hunter? Where's your Aston Martin parked?" Justin asked.

"Over there," He said, pointing at the window near the alley.

"Okay, since yours is the closest, how many people can fit in?" He asked.

"Four if someone squeezes on someone's lap," He said.

"Four? I could barely fit in the back!" I stated.

"It doesn't matter. As long as we get close to your car, the quickest we can get to my car and bolt." Justin said.

I sighed. "But one problem, how do we get out without drawing attention to the guard dog outside."

"Why don't we just go to him and tell him his friends are missing and probably dead?" Felicity asked.

"Well yeah that's great idea," Hunter stated sarcastically. "Except we're not even sure if they're even the good guys,"

"What about the air vent? It leads to the roof. We can go down the fire escape to the parking lot in like, seconds." Justin pointed out.

"But that will draw attention to the people too," I pointed out.

"Better them dead than us," Hunter shrugged with a light chuckle.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"And that's supposed to be a good thing?" I asked.

"Hey look, yeah it's a terrible, terrible thing but they were going to die anyway, this just sped up the process." Hunter stated.

God! He was such an idiot.

"I can try calling Luke? He can talk to his dad and get some of team to come here." Justin stated as he pulled his phone out and began dialing some numbers.

Then as if on cue, the sound of bowling machine and music shut down and the lightbulbs began deteriorating and blacked out completely, leaving us all in complete darkness.

"Okay. I'm officially freaked out!" Felicity stated, clutching Hunter in fear.

I frowned when I heard a strange gnarly, rumbling sound.

"Do you guys hear that?" I asked.

"What?" Justin asked.

"It sounds like a growl." I whispered as I turned to Justin whose eyes widened in terror.

"Someone needs to go check it out." I said.

There needs to be a way to get out of here but if we can do that, then we need to make sure something's not getting in our way.

"I'll go," Hunter sighed, pulling his phone out and using it as a flashlight.

All of us glared at him. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Do you guys wanna get out of here or not?" He retorted.

I turned to Justin who had a confused expression on.

As Hunter began getting up, Felicity grabbed hold of his jacket.

"Hold on. If you go out there, you do realize you could get killed right? What about me?" She asked, pouting her lips.

He stared at her in annoyance, giving her a nasty once-over.

"I'll take my chances," Hunter simply replied before shaking her hand off and getting up.

"Be careful," I said to him.

He turned to me and gave me a smile before creeping over to the scene.

God, I hope we make it out here alive.

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

"Alright Jake, I'm headed out." Mr. Rowdy came out of his office and shut it. "Date night!"

I chuckled, as I continued twisting one of the tires on the SUV I've been working on the whole day.

"So you'll have to close up shop." He told me, shrugging his jacket on.

"No problem," I replied.

"Still can't believe you've been working on this car since 8 o'clock." The middle-aged man said.

"I guess I have great stamina,"

"Yeah right, it's almost unreal. These lazy asses can't even finish it in a week," He snickered. "Your lady must be worried sick for you,"

I laughed nervously, grabbing a rag and began wiping the oil off my hand.

"You better get home soon, there's a curfew remember?" He said to me as he headed for the door.

A curfew?

"N-nobody told me about that?" I said.

He turned to me. "Oh well, apparently there's been a killings happening in the woods, the police department has placed a curfew for everyone."

"I didn't hear about that?"

If there were killings, why didn't the Cullens tell me about them?

Or maybe they had no idea themselves.

"This isn't Washington anymore, Jacob." He told me.

Yeah right! If only he knew all the shit happening in that town.

"Last one out turns off the lights," He told me as he walked out of the building.

Serial killings were happening in this town? Why am I not surprised?

I sighed as I worked on the crappy –turned killer – vehicle thanks to the one and only.

It was as if being alone and having no one to talk to, gave me some time think a lot. And the main thing always on my mind was my imprint, Nessie.

Dammit! I really am whipped.

It hurt to be so fucking far away from her. I am in so much fucking pain that I'm fucking going out of my mind. I don't even know how the guys did it, but oh wait, I know! They always get to see their imprint without their vampire family always chopping off their tail!

And to make matters worse, Nessie won't talk to me.

I mean I think she won't talk to me. She didn't call me this morning like she always did, which is why I was almost late for freaking work.

God! Was I a dick or what?

I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my favorites and clicked on Nessie's ID.

I placed it against my ear and waited.

"_**Hey this is Nessie and you've missed me! Please leave message and I'll get back to you."**_ Her sweet, delicate, velvety voice reached my ear.

Voicemail!

She cut me off!

"Dammit," I groaned.

Yep! She was pissed and the worst part is, it wasn't my fault!

Well not exactly…

_**Flashback**_

_**Nessie waltzed into the house and made her way into the living room where she caught me watching reruns of Futurama. That show was good quality TV, I don't know why it got cancelled. I blame it on The Simpsons.**_

"_**Jake!" My beautiful Nessie squealed and ran over to me and jumped onto me. I laughed.**_

_**God she was so active.**_

"_**Nessie, calm down!" I chuckled.**_

"_**You're not working today?" She asked.**_

"_**Yeah, my boss sent us off for a day off and I thought 'why not spend my day with my favorite girl'?" I told her.**_

_**She grinned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Sweet,"**_

"_**How was your day, sweetheart?" I asked her, draping my arm around her waist as she sat on my lap.**_

_**But I immediately kicked myself when I did that because she noticed and her mood shifted.**_

_**Dang it! No! What did I do! I didn't want her to think I was coming onto her! Oh this is bad!**_

"_**Uh –" She trailed off, shifting off my lap and taking a sit next to me. "It was great, I guess." She replied awkwardly.**_

_**Man. Why did I feel so guilty? She's the one who sat on my lap! But I was the one enjoying it. Ugh! Kill me now and feed me off to the pigs!**_

_**Mommy and Daddy bear walked into the room after –presumably from having a make out session.**_

"_**Renesmee, I didn't know you came back from school. I must've been distracted." Bella stated.**_

_**I bet!**_

"_**Oh I'm sure you were," Nessie giggled, glaring at Edward who looked embarrassed.**_

_**He's so thrashed. I could swear if I threw him some of Bella's baby pictures he'd have an ultimate meltdown.**_

_**I rolled my eyes.**_

"_**Jacob I'm glad you're keeping this little delinquent company," Bella teased her daughter. I grinned.**_

"_**Hey!" Renesmee snapped.**_

"_**I wouldn't say she's a delinquent," I stated. Nessie raised her hand up, as if to say she'd raised a point.**_

"_**She's too good to pull it off," I said truthfully.**_

_**She constricted her eyes at me and crossed her arms against her chest.**_

"_**Is that so?" She teased. I smiled and nodded.**_

"_**Oh yeah,"**_

"_**A lot of big talk Alpha! Want to put your money where your mouth is?" She challenged.**_

_**God! She's so perfect! Even when she challenges me I feel defeated.**_

_**I leaned my head forward, my lips inches away from her face.**_

"_**Bring it on," I replied.**_

_**Nessie drifted her gorgeous chocolate brown eyes at me. Her eyes were so beautiful, especially in the sunlight. Her cheeks flushed and she grinned widely, showcasing her prominent dimples.**_

_**She shied away from my eyes and stared at the buttons of my shirt, and kept her eyes there for quite some time. **_

_**I can just imagine a life where she and I had a shot. She not only being my girlfriend, but being the woman I'd want to spend the rest of my existence with.**_

_**And I could only imagine how her kisses would be…**_

_**Shit! We weren't alone! Edward was listening. Shi! Shit! Shit!**_

_**I lifted my head to see Edward's eyes of fury.**_

_**Yep! That's never a good sign.**_

"_**Jake! Outside! Now!" He growled lowly and walked off, heading to the direction of the backyard.**_

"_**Edward," Bella sighed and turned to me sympathetically, but slightly curious about what I was thinking. I think.**_

_**Well at least I lived this long, right?**_

_**I got up from my seat on the sofa and smiled down at Nessie, giving her a small and stroking her head before following Eddie's tail.**_

_**As I walked out of the glass door, I stood beside Edward who was staring at the scenery of the majestic, beautiful garden. Esme really enjoyed her time out here.**_

_**Edward and I stood there in complete silence.**_

_**I was expecting him to pounce on me, and break me limb-from-limb but he just stood there. **_

_**Maybe he'll try catching me off guard. **_

"_**Okay Edward, I know what you're thinking and I'm sorry." I started ranting on my perfect apology for thinking about his daughter.**_

"_**It's happening. It's finally happening." He murmured to himself, staring into the horizon, completely ignoring me.**_

"_**What's happening?' I asked.**_

_**He glared at me, his eyes blazed in fits of anger.**_

_**Oh god!**_

"_**You're thinking about my daughter," He said.**_

_**Oh well! Thank you for stating the obvious!**_

"_**I know and I'm sorry Edward. I-I just couldn't help it, but I promise I will not pursue –" I tried to tell him.**_

"_**Listen here you little mutt," He said, marching over to me and grabbing me by the collar, slamming me against the wall. "Nessie's my daughter, and I know what's best for her and a relationship is not good for her right now. She may be full grown but she's not mentally prepared for a serious relationship like this now, no matter how her feelings are right now. So you better promise me you won't pursue anything unless she asks you too, you understand?"**_

_**I nodded my head.**_

_**This particular act was the closest he and I got together. It felt oddly nice…**_

_**I wish.**_

"_**Jacob, I'm counting on you to make the right decision." He warned me. **_

"_**I understand." I nodded my head.**_

_**I was oddly intimidated by him right now. **_

_**Dammit! Why have you stooped this low Jacob?**_

_**He nodded his head, pulling away from me and dropped his hands from his hold from me, fixing my shirt and dusting off his prints. **_

_**I laughed nervously and nodded my head.**_

"_**Good we had this talk buddy," I said, patting his shoulder. He jabbed his face at me and I flinched. "Oh my god,"**_

_**He was making his way out when I remembered something.**_

_**Something was off.**_

"_**Wait," I called out. He spun around. "You said she isn't ready for a relationship no matter how her feelings are. What does that mean?"**_

_**He thought for a moment and his face fell, immediately realizing what he'd said. He narrowed his eyes at me.**_

"_**Just…promise me you won't do anything," He pleaded –more like demanded – and walked away.**_

"_**Wait!" I shouted out. "You didn't answer my question…" I said but what was the point, you could never get a word out of that thick-headed mind reader.**_

_**I guess there was only one thing I could do –as much as it physically pained me. I had to try and ignore my feelings for Nessie, even just for a little while.**_

_**But obviously that would never happen.**_

_**After that whole fiasco, I tried my best to refrain from looking into her eyes because it would only give me pain. I would feel horrible.**_

_**That same night, her admirer or friend or whatever you called him walked up the front door and asked her out on a date. **_

_**When that happened, I was for the first time, nervous for my life. I couldn't bear to witness this kid waltz up and scoop her right in front of my eyes.**_

_**Edward glared at me when he read my thoughts. I sighed.**_

_**Yeah I know! No need to lose your balls daddy bear! **_

_**I rolled my eyes as I turned my focus on the TV.**_

_**If he was okay with his daughter going out on a date with some kid why was I –?**_

_**I should probably shut up.**_

_**I did notice though, Bella holding Edward back. Probably refraining him from going all 'anger vamp' on Justin.**_

"_**I'm free tomorrow night," Nessie said the words that I was dreading all my life. **_

_**God and it hurt like a ton of cemented breaks.**_

_**End of flashback…**_

After finishing off with the car, I shrugged my uniform off and placed it on the rack and got dressed in my clothes.

As I began making my way out the shop, I had a sudden frazzled, jittery feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I was nervous about Nessie.

I could feel her energy inside me and it didn't feel good.

Maybe it was because I haven't seen her the whole day. God I missed her.

I stared at the store one last time before locking up.

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

We waited. We waited for Hunter to come back but he didn't.

"My battery's dead," Felicity sighed, shoving her phone in her bag in her frustration.

"What's taking him so long?" Felicity shrieked lowly, rubbing her arms as she shivered. "I'm freezing,"

I frowned, turning my head to take a peek.

"Justin, do you have anything on Luke's dad?" I asked him.

"Nothing yet but Luke says he'll do everything he can," Justin said. "I don't have any reception."

"Someone needs to go check on him," Felicity brought up.

"I'll go," Justin suggested.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"We don't want to lose you too." I told him.

"Okay, then I guess we should all go together then?" Felicity said.

She was right. If we were all going to go down, we were all going to go down together.

Justin and I nodded our heads as we got up from the floor and began walking over to the scene.

"Do you have a flashlight?" I asked Justin as he took the lead.

He shook his head but used his phone's screen as source of light. I pulled mine out and did the same.

"Hunter?" I whispered.

"Hunter, where the hell are you?" Felicity called out nervously.

"Over here," We heard his reply, coming from the arcade.

We followed his voice to see him pointing at a door slightly ajar and cracked.

"If this doesn't make you crap in your pants, then I don't know what!" Felicity stated.

Justin frowned as he picked up the glass pieces, feeling them and sniffing the air.

Okay that's creepy.

I frowned when then a large shadow appeared in the darkness, making its way over to Hunter.

Hunter suddenly fell to the ground and clutched the back of his neck, croaking and grunting in pain.

"Hunter!" Felicity gasped, running to his aid and holding him up.

What the hell was that?

I couldn't even pay attention when I heard the sounds of police sirens coming towards this direction. Justin and I shot our heads at the doors, seeing a huge line of police cruisers lined up.

"Oakland Woods, Police Department!" Detective Fitzpatrick waltzed into the doors, with a gun pointing in our direction and a couple more officers behind him.

Everyone in the room gasped.

When he saw Justin, he placed his gun back in his holster and turned to the officers.

"Make a perimeter run around the place. Get these people out of here" He told them.

"Yes, dectective," They nodded their heads and obliged.

Detective Fitzpatrick sighed as he made his way over to us and grabbed hold of Justin's arm who groaned in pain.

"Hey, Justin. It's interesting to see you here," He said sarcastically and I could swear he reminded me of Luke at that moment. "What are you kids doing here? Don't you know there's a curfew?" He snarled.

"Well I guess now we see the reason for it." Justin said, flinching at his grasp.

Detective Fitzpatrick let go of him and sighed.

"You kids need to get to your homes! Now!" He retorted.

"Uh, Detective…" Felicity called out, still holding Hunter who was writing in immense pain. "We need to get him to the hospital,"

"No. I'm fine," Hunter groaned, getting up and moving Felicity's hand off. "I'm fine.

"What happened?" Detective Fitzpatrick questioned.

"Three guys came in here with huge guns and just began shooting at everything." I said.

"Yeah and two of them just vanished." Justin said.

"You probably saw one of them outside, right?" I asked him.

"No. Even if he was there, I'm pretty sure he made a run for it." Fitzpatrick stated.

I sighed.

"Listen. You guys need to leave. Your parents must be worried sick," He added. We all nodded our heads.

"Uh, Detective?" one of the officers called for him. "I think you better see this,"

Detective Fitzpatrick turned to us before running over to the scene. We all followed his tail to where the officer was, staring a lifeless body of one of those gunmen, drenched in blood.

I gasped and covered my mouth at the terror.

"Oh my god,"

"Homicide?" Justin asked the detective.

Fitzpatrick shook his head.

"Animal attack," He stated.

I widened my eyes as I stared at the body again.

What the hell was going on in this damn town?

… …

Justin dropped me off at my house. I thanked him for the ride but he said I should save it until he gets me to my porch. So I just kept quiet.

"Well tonight was crazy." Justin stated.

I laughed at the understatement.

"Crazy doesn't even cover it." I said. "Let's just not think about it okay?"

I didn't want my father to know what had happened at the bowling alley tonight. If he ever found out, he'd never even let me step foot out of my bedroom.

Justin smiled and nodded his head as we walked up the driveway.

"So uh," He began as we ascended up the porch steps. "Do you think we could hang out again soon?" He asked.

"Um…absolutely" I said, holding onto the locket dangling on my chest. "But I have to admit something." I pointed out.

He looked slightly nervous.

"After tonight, I'm not really big on group dates." I told him. He sighed in relief. "So next time, just the two of us…" I stated.

I mean I could go on a second date with Justin. It's not like 'somebody' will ever consider going that road with me so why not try dating someone who could.

But I still didn't feel good about it.

"I could totally handle more of that," He said to me, flashing me his dorky dimpled smile.

I smiled.

"Good," I said with a slight smile as I stared up into his eyes.

"Thank you for the ride," I said to him as I got on my tiptoe and planted a small peck on his cheek and began making my way to the door.

"Renesmee!" He called out for me, grabbing my wrist, pulling me towards him.

I didn't know what was happening but as I moved closer to him, our eyes locked for a while.

And next thing, we're touch each other and the feeling hit me like lightning, I was completely off guard.

He slowly began leaning his head closer to mine and soon I felt his warm lips connect with mine. The kiss was…the kiss was different. It wasn't what I imagined my first kiss to be but my lips just moved with it.

I raised my hand to cup his face, hoping I'd get the passion that I see all over TV. But all I felt was a kiss.

But when he pulled away slightly and came back for another kiss, I could feel the slight ardent I wanted to feel.

I pulled away to blush and stare at the ground.

My first kiss…

I stared up at him.

"I could definitely handle more of that," I said to him.

He grinned at me, and began moving closer for another kiss.

The door was immediately unfurled and I shot my head to see my dad standing, staring at the non-existent distance between Justin and I.

My eyes widened.

His eyes were filled with disapproval, anger, and annoyance yet keeping a straight face. He released a sigh as he crossed both of his arms.

I noticed he had darkened his hair, and applied grey dye on a few edges of his hair to make him seem slightly older than he actually looked. I took that as a sign to probably play along.

"Dad!" I gasped, moving away from Justin's body and shaking off the fabric fibers off my coat.

"Renesmee," He nodded his head at me before turning to Justin and gave him a quick survey.

Justin turned to me in shock.

Yeah! He probably thought it was crazy I had dad that could easily look like a 27 year old, maybe even younger.

"Mr. Cullen, it's great to meet you." Justin said nervously as he stretched his hand to give him a handshake.

Dad stared down at it in slight disgust before hesitantly shaking it.

When Justin touched his hand, he visibly began shaking, it was as if my dad's hand gave him an allergic reaction or something. Or maybe he was just shocked at the coldness. I know anybody would be.

"I'm Justin." He stated.

"Edward. But you can call me Mr. Cullen," Dad said politely.

Justin nodded his head nervously, breaking their handshake.

Okay. This couldn't get any more awkward.

"Um…okay," I huffed uncomfortably. I turned to Justin. "I talk to you later,"

He nodded his head. "I'll talk to you later." He said to me. I smiled.

Justin leaned in for a kiss on the cheek but stopped when my dad cleared his throat.

Justin then leaned in for a hug and my father yet again, coughed out.

I sighed when Justin and I resorted to giving each other a handshake.

Justin descended the porch steps and hopped into his truck. He waved goodbye before driving off.

I turned around to look up at my dad.

"Hi dad," I smiled with flak.

"What happened tonight?" He demanded.

"Nothing," I sighed. He gripped my arm. "What dad? Seriously, you've embarrassed me enough. Way to be subtle," I said, shaking my head before entering the house.

My dad was literally impossible! I get that he was being a dad but he didn't have to be so obvious!

All I needed to do was collapse onto my bed and just die!

… …

**A/N: Yeah hate me, Justin and Nessie kissed. I'm a bad person but…don't worry, you'll thank me later!**

**I hope the chapter is not too action-y/gory for you. I just love watching crime shows like X-Files and I just can't miss out on the opportunity. **

**So who enjoyed this chapter? **

**The Jacob and Edward conversation was hard to right, yo! (BTW, Jacob isn't completely nervous when he's around Edward; he's just humoring him here so I'm still staying true to Jake's character!)**

**And who just died at Edward's protective dad mode?**

**Sound off your reviews!**


	12. Chapter 12: My Imprint

**SETH CLEARWATER**

Who knew spending weeks in a new town would be so much fun? Uh I did!

La Push had nothing, as in straight up nothing! I mean the occasional shin-dig was present here and there but otherwise, it was pretty much a drought. Ever since the "Life takers/Life ruiners" –as Paul used to call the Cullens– left town, the vampire rate decreased therefore, the vampire killing fun took a stand still and the pack aren't particularly happy about that.

I won't lie, having peace is great but I really do miss the action.

Now that I'm in the big city of California, and temporarily staying with my buddy Jakey-Wakey, I needed to take precautions. Yeah, I decided to stick around for a while. My mom and Leah –mostly because she can't order me to do things – aren't too pleased about that but I don't give a damn! I'm a 21 year old shape shifter! I was bound to leave the nest at some point.

It wasn't just the big city that drew me in. In order to spend as much time as possible with Alex, I'd need to stay, and I certainly don't mind that. This was definitely going to be an awesome stay.

I shot my eyes open as the piercing alarm reached my ears. Ugh! That painful screeching! A dying cat would've been better!

I dragged myself off the impossibly uncomfortable couch and stood up, stepping on the pizza box we ate yesterday and began stretching my pained muscles.

The house was a mess.

God Jake and I were slobs!

"Arghh!" I groaned but yawned in exhaustion, scratching my hard stomach before making my way over to Jake's room.

I entered to see Jake's body lifting up and hearing the sound of his loud snore as he slept soundly, his long leg tangled in the covers.

"Yo Jake! Wake up!" I called out.

He didn't respond.

I threw a pillow at him.

Didn't help.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the heaviest object and threw it at him. He just shifted but it still didn't help.

I stared down to see his shoe and I picked it up. I made my way over to him and flashed the shoe against his nose.

He shot up almost immediately.

"I'm up!" He retorted, his head spinning.

I sighed and hurled the nasty piece of crap of a shoe over to the laundry basket.

"I don't get the use of your damn alarm clock when you don't even wake up," I told him. "Maybe we should get you a rooster?"

"What time is it?" He groaned groggily, collapsing onto the bed.

"You're late for work, that's what time it is." I laughed as I began clearing all the pile of clothes, papers and drumsticks.

I gagged at the nasty smell.

"Dude, you do realize you're a slob right?"

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." Jacob sighed as he snatched his phone from the counter and began scrolling through it.

"How do expect Nessie to fall for you when you can't even cleanup for yourself?" I teased, snickering lightly. He glared at me. I smiled. "Oh, sorry,"

"She'll talk to me again. I mean I hope she will." Jake sighed, drifting off to depression town.

Oh right! Yeah! Nessie's ignoring Jake. I almost forgot. Eddie's really setting the rules over Jake's relationship with his daughter. I mean sure, I understand his point of view in the sense that he's being protective over his only child but he does need to know that they'll end up together at the end.

Maybe it's the imprint talking.

"I do everything in this house. I cook, I clean, and I wake you up for work. I'm practically your wife. I expect a ring next week," I told him. He scoffed. "I'm serious!"

"Well who's paying rent?" He asked.

"The Cullens?" I laughed. He rolled his eyes.

"Not for long," He told me as he flopped off his bed and unimpressively did his bed. "I'm going to take a shower." He told me as he began making his way to the bathroom.

"Want me to join?" I teased. "Or will you be fine fantasizing about Nessie?"

"Shut up!" He shouted. I laughed.

Well it's a Friday! I have literally the whole day to do whatever I want. Maybe I'll get a tan.

My phone began ringing from the kitchen and I ran over to answer it, to see Alex's caller ID. I grinned widely and the familiar butterflies in my stomach came to play.

"Hi!" I screeched like a school girl. I cleared my throat. "I mean, hey…S'up!" I said in a husky tone.

Good god!

She laughed. "Well I love the enthusiasm pretty boy." She commented. I blushed. "Hey, I'm heading to the insane asylum known as school right now and then volleyball practice after that but I'm thinking of ditching. Why don't we hang out?"

I grinned. She didn't even need to give me a chance to say no.

"I'm game! Where do you wanna hang out?"

"My house, right after school," She told me.

I smiled.

"Sure. I can't wait to see you." I told her.

She paused for a while before giggling and replying. "Yeah, I can't wait to see me too."

I laughed.

"Alright, bye!" She said before hanging up.

My schedule was immediately cleared and I had my focus on one thing for the day.

… …

I reached Oakland High and waited for ten minutes until all the students rolled out of the building. My smile grew when I caught the scenic beauty – that is the chestnut haired girl with striking hazel eyes and amazing olive skin – make her way over to me. I opened the door and made the way for her to enter.

"My lady," I stated.

I knew she wasn't into guys who were cliché when it comes to flirtatious gestures. Although I'm more of a subtle, old-fashioned guy like Edward, I respected her beliefs. She's certainly a tough cookie. But I like it nonetheless.

"Ha ha," She said with an eye roll as she got in.

I hopped into the driver's seat and drove out of the school's parking lot.

"So aren't you hanging out with Nessie tonight?"

"Oh no! She's out on a double date with Justin and Hunter with his girlfriend." She told me.

I smiled. "You don't wanna say her name, don't you?"

"Omigosh! How did you notice?" She gasped. I laughed. "No. I mean, I don't know, I'd like to go past it all. It's been three years but it's hard."

"Yeah I get it. But you're a real tough nut to crack. Nobody could ever mess with you."

"Oh I'm not too sure. It's just a façade, in the inside I'm _probably_ a girly-girl like the rest of these hormonal halfwits." She told me. I widened my eyes. "I said probably,"

I smiled.

We reached Alex's house a couple of minutes later and I pulled up a large driveway.

We both slipped out of the car and began making our way to the modern two-story house.

"I've got lots of studying to do but the PSAT's are over and I don't care." She chuckled as she handled her books in her arms as we began ascending the porch steps.

I chuckled.

"I hope I'm not influencing that decision."

She scoffed.

She unfurled the door and entered into. The moment I took a step on the porch doormat, I felt a sudden shift in my stomach. It was as if the house had caused a visceral reaction in my stomach, making me weak.

"Come on, nobody's going to be here for hours!" She told me, gesturing her head for me to enter. I laughed.

"Okay," I sighed.

The house was really cool. It was the typical Italian themed house with the crystal chandeliers and mahogany wooden doors and staircase with antique objects in every sight.

Alex grinned at me as she shut the door and began climbing up the stairs. I naturally began following her tail until we reached her room.

She placed her books on her dresser and threw her backpack on her bed.

"Well this is my room." She stated. I nodded.

"It's cool," I said as I saw tons of rock band posters such as Nirvana, Rush, Aerosmith, Metallica, KISS, Pearl Jam. Dang! Is there anything this girl likes that I don't?

She still had a feminine side to her room. The room had a purple themed wallpaper and had a floral type of bed. Cute!

"Cute room," I told her. She giggled.

I shrugged my suede jacket off my shoulders and placed it on the bed.

"Is it just me or is it hot for Fall season?" I asked.

I never got cold, no matter how the weather was. In fact, I actually felt hotter when it was colder. Damn my wolf side!

"It's just you," She blurted out. She retracted her words with a chuckle.

I smiled.

"Why thank you," I teased. She lightly blushed and punched my arm.

"Hey, I have a question." She posed as she took a seat on the bed. "Is Jake like your brother or cousin?"

"Well…sorta." I told her as I sat next to her. "His dad was close friends with my dad since they were both members of council in our tribe. We essentially grew up together, same thing with my sister."

"What do you mean he was close friends with your dad?" She asked.

"My dad died." I told her truthfully as I stared at the ground.

"Wow…" She murmured nervously. "Well this didn't turn awkward."

I chuckled.

"Nah, it's okay. It was years ago anyway," I told her as I tilted my head to meet her eyes. She gave me a small smile as she placed her chin on my shoulder and began fiddling with the tips of my hair.

"Look you don't have to feel like you shouldn't feel, Seth. We've all lost people in our lives before and it's okay to be sad. It'll get you closer getting over it," She told me.

"Well I can't imagine losing anybody else close to me, especially you." I replied. She released a faint smile and moved her eyes away from mine to stare at the fabric of my sweater.

"I'm sorry. I know it's hard for you to open up because you've been hurt before from previous relationships. But you have to understand that I'll never ever hurt you. Ever…" I assured her as I caressed her cheek.

She reluctantly looked into my eyes, probably searching for any hint of mistruth but I know she wouldn't find anything. I mean exactly what I said and I was aching for her to trust me.

She smiled.

"I get it. It's just hard to let people in." She told me. "It's a work-in progress. I'm not going to find a cure for cancer but I'll definitely get to that stage."

"I get it." I smiled.

"I really won't lie to you Seth. You're really hot!" She told me. I chuckled and blushed. "And I really do like you…I just need time."

I nodded my head.

She's my imprint. I could wait centuries for her. If Jake can wait seven years for his mate, I can surely wait for Alex.

"No worries, I can wait."

She sniggered but then paused in her tracks to just stare at me. It was as if she immediately forgot about what she told me. Her frown made me worry about what was going on in her head.

She moved her head closer to mine and almost immediately, she caught me off guard as she smashed her lips on mine in a gentle, pliable kiss. She pulled away way too quickly to smile slightly.

I gazed down at her glossy lips. I just had my first kiss with my imprint and it certainly felt amazing.

"What was that for?" I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess I'm just doing things like I'm never going to have another chance to." She told me.

I grinned.

God I am so crazy about this girl!

I turned my body to face her.

"Well I may not be able to cure cancer too but I'm smart enough to know, to never get in the way of a woman on a mission." I murmured to her as I leaned in closer to her lips.

"Is that so?" She teased as she draped her arms around my neck. I grinned as I roamed my hand down her thigh.

"Oh yeah," I told her.

She giggled as she smashed her lips on mine in an ardent kiss, filled with hunger. She hopped on my lap and began straddling me as the kiss deepened. I slowly began descending onto the bed as we kissed.

She ran her hands through my hair as we lay there and I roved my hands all over her back, down to her legs and then back up her curly hair. I had not really had a make out session before but kissing Alex, it felt normal to me.

I could hear both our heartbeats racing together and our pulses rising with every touch we made.

As the kiss escalated my heart began racing way too fast and that only happened when I was about to turn. My eyes bulged as I felt the heat boil inside me. Everything clicked. This was going way too fast.

I immediately pulled away from her.

"Whoa," I gasped.

"What's wrong?" She asked me, her eyes filled with worry.

"Oh uh-nub-uh…" I stammered. "Nothing, I-I just I…I don't want to make you do something you don't wanna do just yet."

"I'm not doing anything I don't wanna do. Are you?" She asked.

I raised my eyebrow at her.

"Are you seriously asking me that question?" I questioned. She smiled as she placed her lips on my cheek. "But I think it'll be best if we do the something we wanna do when we didn't just get together." I muttered awkwardly.

She stared at me with confusion before she got it and her eyes bulged in shock as she flipped herself off of me.

"Oh god, you're right! W-we shouldn't be doing this right? I mean we're not a bunch of hormonal teenagers, we're both adults accept the fact you're four years older than me. Holy cow! You're probably thinking I'm one of those teenagers who only think about sex right after you got with them and I'm most definitely not one of those teenagers! God! I feel like an idiot." She ranted on, running her hand through her hair.

"Hey, hey!" I called out as I got off the bed and went to her side. "No. I didn't mean it like that. I mean of course I want to but…I think it's best if we got to know each other more."

"Believe me, I fully agree with you." She told me and looked into my eyes. I grinned at her. "God your grin is so hot! Alexandra!" She retorted to herself at the last part.

I laughed and planted my lips on her forehead.

I've never been so happy in my whole entire 21 years of existence. I finally ended up with the girl of my dreams!

I tilted my head to see an image of a presumably younger Alex in a picture with two older people on her nightstand.

"Who's this little cutie?" I asked.

"That's me with my parents." She smiled at me.

"Oh,"

Well I understood where the resemblance came from with the man but the woman looked nothing like her –well besides maybe the skin tone.

"Justin's your brother right?"

"Yeah, from my dad's side though. His mom married my dad but divorced when he and my mom had me. It's a complicated family tree."

"Isn't that in all families?" I said. She laughed.

I took a seat on the edge of the bed. I caught a small box filled with deep-rooted objects. I pulled out the first thing I saw which was a set of photographs.

"Did you take these?"

"Yeah, that was when I thought I was a photographer." She told me.

"They're great," I told her.

"No they're not!" She chuckled as she snatched them away from me. "I stopped when I realized I was terrible at it. Framings off, terrible lighting, trust me, I was bad which is why I have a teammate to take photos on the Newspaper club."

I smiled as I reached for the easel of a vase of flowers.

"That was when I thought I was good at painting. Terrible at that too," She told me.

I grabbed the crooked looking mug.

"That was when I tried clay making," She sighed. "Bad couldn't come close to describing that,"

I smiled. "What are you good at then?"

She frowned.

"I'll show you if you promise not to laugh?" She asked me. I raised my eyebrow. "Promise?"

I nodded my head.

She smiled as she got up from the bed and hit her iPod on. She picked a song before taking a set back and began dancing; making flips and turns I never thought were imaginable!

My eyes bulged and I had to blink twice.

God damn!

"So?" She asked me.

My mouth was hung like a guppy!

"So you're a dancer?" I managed to say after a long pause.

"You promised you wouldn't laugh at me,"

"Trust me, I'm not laughing. You're amazing Alex," I told her as I began applauding her. She rolled her eyes and grinned. She made her way over to me and bent her head down to plant her lips on mine in a gentle kiss, she pulled away to smile at me.

Well that was a nice way to say thank you!

"You're welcome," I said to her. She smiled and slapped my cheek lightly.

"Come on let's go, I wanna get something to eat." She said as she ran out of her room.

I followed her tail and found her in the kitchen.

"Hey so there's this wedding in a couple of weeks," I began as she began pouring two glasses of orange juice. "Actually, it's my mom's wedding. It's in my hometown and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me? It'll be during winter break."

"Oh darn! I'd love to go but I have this uh thing with my family. A sort of eduvacation as my dad calls it. If I could get out of it I would," She said sadly. "I would've loved to have met your mom. There has to be a reason for your good locks,"

I laughed and planted my lips on her forehead.

Well that sucks! I was hoping to finally have a date for a wedding but we'll have many chances in the future.

I never thought about imprinting on someone ever since I turned. But I understood how strong it was but I never knew how much it can affect someone until now. Now that she came into my life, I can fully say I know how it feels. It wasn't just a strong attraction but a desire to be with that one person that made you happy and Alex makes me happy beyond compare.

I might be way into it. I may be a hopeless romantic. I may be stupid for even thinking it.

But I can honestly say I've fallen hard for this girl and there was nothing that could stop that.

_**Or so I thought…**_

… …

**A/N: Well bam-who?! Seth's POV! **

**I loved writing this chapter, I will not lie! I am so in love with Seth's character, he's by far my favorite! That lovely cinnamon toast crunch! Ugh! **

**Anyhow! I also enjoy the relationship between him and Alex and I hope you guys do too. Like I think they're just adorable! They remind me of one of my favorite TV couples. **

**I was thinking for their ship name: Slex? Or Aleth? What do you guys think?**

**Sue and Charlie's wedding will be in two chapters! So all you SuexCharlie fans gear up!**

**Thank you all and please review, follow and favorite guys! I'd much appreciate it!**


	13. Chapter 13: Is it Fair or Fare?

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"We really need to stop this whole moving thing, folks!" I told my parents as we threw the last box in the garage.

My family and I –and by family I mean Dad, mom and I – decided to move from the main house, over to a not-as-large house only a couple of minutes away that Esme built for us.

The Cullen family thought that since Edward, Bella and I were a family of our own, we needed our own space. It's been four months since we moved here, and yet we had to move again! Ugh!

It was a good thing the house was fully furnished though, so we didn't need to take much, mostly just our clothes. The house was amazing, in fact, probably even more amazing than the cottage back in Forks.

It wasn't hidden in the outskirts of the forest like the main mansion; it was actually closer to the neighborhood houses. I guess that was meant so we'd stay closer to the humans to keep up the "façade".

"I promise you sweetheart, this is the last time." Bella chuckled. "This is the last time, right?" She turned to dad.

Dad chuckled. "Yes, my love." He said as he planted a kiss on the side of her head.

I shook my head as I set the vase on the coffee table.

"I still don't understand where these random killings come from." Edward pointed out.

My eyes widened.

Bella sighed. "You're still on about that, love?"

"Bella, I just think that it's weird that there are dead people found in the woods and nobody's pointing it out other than manslaughter. Something's fishy." Dad said to her.

"Oh come on, Edward. Just because we're living in a town that has a little crime here and there, doesn't automatically mean there's something supernatural about it." Bella replied.

"Bella, it's not like it's not something to look into." He argued.

Bella sighed. "Nessie, honey," Mom called me out.

I lifted my head and turned to her.

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"What do you think?" She questioned.

I don't know! What should I think? I mean I know what I should think but I don't know what to think! Dear god! I was in a mental catatonic state and I had no way out of it.

"U-uhmm…I think you're right mom." I said to her.

Edward frowned at me.

"See!" Bella raised her hand up.

Dad rolled his dark eyes.

"Alright, fine. I'll let it go," He sighed as he finished plugging in the plasma TV. "All done!"

"So, Nessie, Jacob's coming over while your dad and I go hunting with the family." Mom told me.

I frowned. "Mom, I don't need a babysitter," I said to her.

"No. Don't see it that way. You get to hang out with your best friend." She pointed out. I rolled my eyes.

"Right." I replied.

We heard the main door suddenly unfurl and the musky scent reached my nostrils.

"Oh speak of the devil." Mom hummed as she scrunched her nose.

"Who can get away from that?" Edward laughed as he went to my mom's side.

"Little High, Little Low!" Jacob's loud, deep voice radiated the air.

"Little Hay! Little Ho!" Bella replied with a giggle.

"You guys really need to stop watching _Stuart Little_; you're both two decades older for that." I laughed.

"Hey, it's our favorite movie!" Jake quarreled as he entered the room.

I turned to him and my heart jumped. His presence alone sent shivers running down my spine.

His eyes seemed dazed as he stared at me. "Hey,"

I let a small smile form on my lips. "Hi,"

"So we're going to get going." Bella told us, grabbing our attention from each other. She draped an arm around dad, after slipping on her sneakers. "You guys have fun."

"But not too much fun," Edward stated, glaring at Jake who hid away from his gaze.

"Don't break the house down." Mom told me. I rolled my eyes.

She and dad headed for the door and sped inhumanly out of the house and to the woods.

I let out an exasperated breath.

"Parents," I giggled nervously as I turned to Jake with my hands tucked in my back pockets.

"You got to love 'em," He told me, flashing his familiar Jakey grin.

I smiled and gnawed my bottom lip, staring at the ground awkwardly.

Jake and I hadn't talked since that night of the bowling date. Well not really. It's been really awkward between us ever since then. Maybe it's courtesy to the fact that I have unresolved feelings for him.

Wait! Why am I thinking about that? The whole plan is to get over it, not bring it back!

"So what do you wanna do?" He asked me.

"Well, I was just about to pick out a dress for the wedding?" I said –as more of a question rather than a statement.

"Oh," He nodded his head. "Need any help?"

I stared at him with a raised brow.

"You want to help me pick out a dress?"

He shrugged. "I've lived with two sisters for half my life," He simply told me.

"Um…well okay then," I laughed as I began heading up the stairs to my room with him following.

… …

"What about this one?" I asked as I flashed the floral dress Esme got me for my fifth birthday.

"It looks great." He smiled widely, sitting on the edge of my bed and juggling a tennis ball.

I frowned at him then turned to the dress.

"That's what you said for the last ten dresses." I said to him as I slipped the dress back on the rack.

"I guess you look great in anything," He told me.

I rolled my eyes but could feel a blush forming on my cheeks.

"Sweet," I stated as I ran my hand through the clothes on the rack of my closet.

"Are you excited for the wedding?" He asked.

"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "I mean, duh, my granddad is getting married to the love of his life. I mean, not many find their true love for a second time and Sue is just perfect for him."

"Yeah, they are pretty perfect. Who would've thought?" He told me. "Although, there was an undeniable attraction between them before but they didn't act on it until after Harry died."

I widened my eyes. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, Seth was the only one that noticed." Jake laughed.

"Wow," I answered. I found a dress that looked okay and I grinned. "How about this?"

He grinned. "It's pretty, I like it."

I pouted my bottom lip as I eyed the ruffled creamy ensemble.

"Yeah, I don't like it. Ugh! Alice is so good at this." I sighed in frustration as I placed the dress back.

"So uh, I have a question." Jake said awkwardly.

"Shoot,"

"Are you and that Justin guy, you know…like are you guys together?" He asked me.

My heart thumped, pounded, panned, and jumped at those words. Oh my freaking god! Why am I feeling this way? It's just a question!

However, it's a question I totally wasn't expecting him to ask.

"I don't know. I mean…" I paused. "I guess."

I heard a long pause and his breath began to quicken.

Answer dammit!

"Oh," He replied.

'Oh'? Oh?! That's all you have to say.

"I mean, he's a nice guy and I like him I guess." I said to him.

"Hey, do you want something to drink? I'm thirsty." Jake pointed out, completely diverting from the conversation.

"Um…no I'm good," I replied as I watched him get up and headed for the door.

He nodded his head. "Be right back,"

I watched as he left the room. My eyes couldn't help but travel down his muscular back until he vanished.

I exhaled an uneven breath.

It was not going to be easy being around him almost 24/7.

… …

I woke up that Friday and prepared for school, leaving the house almost immediately.

I hopped out of the car as I reached the parking lot. I glanced at my watch to see that I was five minutes late for my class. Ugh! I was a vampire, I could just snap and I'd be at school on time, why am I late?

Well maybe I would've been on time if my dad didn't pick a perfect time to give me a lecture on boyfriends! Like seriously?!

Thank god my mom intervened.

I walked into the school building, with my books cradled against my chest and heading for homeroom. I suddenly felt a large, strong figure bump into me. My heart thumped fast at the sudden movement, and the shock caused me to drop my books flat on the ground. I gasped, looking up to see Justin's panicked face.

"Oh my god!" I squeaked, running my hands through my hair.

"You scared the hell out of me." I told him.

His eyes widened and his face looked pretty relieved to see me, as if I had died and come back to life.

"You're okay!" Justin sighed breathlessly.

I giggled as I bent down to pick my books up.

"Once I get my heart to start beating again, yeah," I said as he bent down to help me. I looked up to see his eyes of happiness. I frowned but kept my smile.

"What?" I asked.

He sighed. "I'm just really happy to see you."

"Attention students, this is your principal speaking. I know you're all wondering what the incident was that occurred last night to one of our janitors at the pool and the event that happened at the bowling alley not so long ago. While the police department works to determine what happened, classes will continue as scheduled." Principal Philips told us on the school monitor. Everyone in the hall groaned. "But I will give you good news. We have an announcement and I'm pretty sure you ladies will be pleased. Have a great day everyone, and Mr. Goldstein, please meet me in my office. Thank you!" Principal Philips dismissed.

Everyone in the hall groaned in irritation and disappointment.

I smiled at Justin and ruffled his soft, thick hair.

"I'll see you later then?" I asked him.

"Yeah," He sniggered and nodded his head, smiling from ear to ear. He looked like such an adorable dork.

I giggled and gave him a light punch on the shoulder before walking to my homeroom class.

… …

I was making my way to my AP Biology class when Felicity ran over to my side and draped her arm around mine.

"Morning, beautiful," She greeted.

"Hey," I laughed.

"So, have you thought about the cheerleading offer?" Felicity asked me.

"Um…yeah, I guess."

"And…?" She asked in hopefulness.

I sucked in a deep breath, staring down at the gorgeous short blonde.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine, okay!"

"Yes!" She squealed. "This is so exciting! This is going to be great! And I'm not talking about championships but Olympics baby!" She added. "So there's practice today and your presence is mandatory! We can finally make the pyramid, I mean sure, we'll need to kick Caitlyn Murano out but she was dead weight anyway,"

"Look Felicity. I'm flattered but I'm only doing this as an extracurricular activity. I'm not planning on partaking in any championships. I still need to focus on school, you know." I told her.

"Oh…" She sighed, looking bummed. "Yeah, I mean, I get it. It just would've been fun s'all,"

Felicity and I entered Ms. Maguire's classroom and took our seats.

Ms. Maguire (Lizzie) and I were close after knowing each other for the past three months. She was a pretty good teacher but also a great companion, a friend.

I was worried about her though. She's gotten really close with Mr. Ainsworth –the alleged vampire teacher – and I think there's something going on between them. Mr. Ainsworth hadn't shown any signs of being dangerous but how would I know that? I've only known him for a short while.

And I didn't have solid proof he was indeed a vampire. I mean sure, the eye thing was one and the paleness would be one of the obvious signs but other than that, I had nothing.

I needed to uncover the truth.

But I can't do it on my own.

"Oh, Charles," She giggled uncontrollably as she entered the classroom with Mr. Ainsworth on her tail.

"I would love to take you out tonight, my lady." He said to her smoothly.

"Yeah, I would, once I'm done with grading these papers." Lizzie stated.

"I can grade them for you." He pointed out. She raised her eyebrow at him. "I'm fast at grading papers,"

"Is that so?" Lizzie laughed.

"Mhmm," Charles Ainsworth hummed.

"Well, do you have a 5.0 GPA in Biology?" She asked him.

"No. But I have an IQ that's off the charts." He teased.

"Yeah right," Ms. Maguire laughed. "I have to start my class,"

Everyone in the class gagged as Mr. Ainsworth leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek, lingering his lips there for a while.

"I'll see you later then." He said before turning over to the class and eying me for a while, until he vanished.

"He's totally hot!" Felicity giggled as she twirled the tips of her hair.

Lizzie was blushing a deep beet red and couldn't control the smile on her face as she turned over to the class. I furrowed my eyebrows.

Something's not right.

"Okay class! Let's begin," She cleared her throat as she went over to the board.

When the class was over, I went over to the teacher's desk and caught her staring at the picture frame of her and her baby brother, Carter Luca, and then changing over to the frame that had her and Mr. Ainsworth in it.

"Um, hey!" I greeted her.

She lifted her head and beamed up when she saw me.

"Oh hey, Renesmee!" She grinned as she set the frame on the desk.

"How're doing?" I asked her.

"I'm great. I really am." She widened her grin as she thought along. "Things are going really great."

I smiled softly.

"So I see you and Mr. Ainsworth are together?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, he's just so amazing. He's not like any other guy I met in my life. He's not the typical jerkward of the male race, he's just so different. He cares for me, more so than anyone in the world ever could. Accepts me for who I truly am, allows me to be goofy whenever I want to be. You know what I mean?" She recited it as if it was a poem, maybe it was.

I nodded my head.

Oddly enough, I really did.

"Sounds like you love him." I chuckled.

"I know it's crazy. I mean look at me, I'm a love-struck puppy and it's only been a few months but I guess love doesn't tell time." She giggled.

My smile fell.

"Do you notice anything off about him lately? I mean when you two go out?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. Not that I know of." She said. "Oh but he has his occasional moments."

"Like what?" I asked in curiousness.

"Well how he suggests we only go out in the night rather than in the day. But I guess he's probably one of those guys," She laughed but paused when she realized something and then narrowed her eyes at me. "Why are you asking?"

"No reason." I shook my head. "I'm just really glad you're happy,"

"I am. I truly am."

I grinned and nodded my head.

"Well I guess I better get going," I dismissed and left the class.

I guess I know one more thing now…

… …

After Biology, I began descending the staircases of the school when we rolled out of the class and began heading to our next class. I saw Justin pass by, on his phone.

"Hey!" I greeted him with a smile.

He turned to me, grinning widely as I stood in front of him.

"Hey!" He said.

"You busy?" I asked him, pointing at his phone.

"Oh no, uh…it's just my mom. She's nothing," He told me.

I frowned. His mom is nothing?

"I mean it's nothing. I'm never too busy for you," He replied. I grinned.

"I like the sound of that." I giggled. "Uh I have to run to Spanish class but I just wanted to let you know that we're going out later."

"We are?" He asked in shock.

"Yeah, you, me, Felicity and Hunter! It's going to be great." I smiled at him. "Tell Luke to come with. Uh –save me a seat at lunch. I got to go!" I said to him before walking away and headed for my locker.

I felt a jittery feeling like I was being followed as I pulled my books out. I skimmed my eyes through the empty halls. I literally felt like an energy was surging through the room and it wasn't a friendly.

The second ring of the bell reached my ears and caused me to flinch.

I laughed as I shut my door and headed to my Spanish class I had with Alex.

After the class, Alex and I were heading over to the cafeteria for lunch.

"So what do you think the announcement's about?" I asked her as we reached the crowded cafeteria.

"It's probably going to be about Junior prom coming up." She replied with an eye roll.

"Junior prom? Isn't it months away?" I asked.

"Yeah, there's this thing the school does in order to generate hype for the 'big day'. It's kind of lame but whatever," She stated as we stood in line for our food. "Like what's up with school dances anyway? Are they trying to make girls have a mentally that they have to always have a guy by their side? I mean, like some girls like to feel independent, not all girls, apparently," She stated as she pointed at the girls who were clinging on their boyfriends. "I mean have some self-worth ladies!" She retorted, loud enough for some girls to hear.

I giggled.

"Not to mention the norms of 'prom'!" Alex rolled her eyes.

"The norms being the 'Prom King and Queen' title?" I pointed out.

Alex nodded her head.

I sighed. "I get it. You're right, not all of us need to depend on a man for happiness."

"Honey, I'm always right." She stated.

I smiled.

"It's always great when you have someone that respects that you're way more badass than they are. Some guys are sore losers." She added.

"Yeah," I laughed as I took my food and we began heading to our table. "Wait what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you about Seth and I?" Alex questioned as we took our seats. I widened my eyes.

Seth and Alex got together? About damn time!

"Hey!" Justin's voice reached my ears. I looked up to see him taking a seat next to me, planting a kiss on my cheek before taking a chunk out of his apple. I grinned.

"Oh my god!" Luke's annoyed grunt came into view as he roughly took a seat by the table and slammed his backpack on the ground.

I laughed. "Dude, are you okay?" I asked.

"Coach Flak benched me again. I seriously think that guy hates my guts, I'm pretty sure he knows I tepeed his house the other night." Luke groaned.

"I have a hunch that's the reason why you're benched, dufus," Alex stated with an eye roll. Luke mocked her.

"I have a lot prepared for him for winter break so guys get ready for the show!" Luke grinned mischievously.

I rolled my eyes.

"Attention, attention all students," Principal Philips voice reached our ears. "This is your principal speaking,"

"No shit—" Alex chuckled.

"I know you're all pretty excited about winter break but before we get to that, I have a few announcements to make. Midterm schedules will be found on the notice board if anyone's interested, although, you should all go check it out because your first midterm will begin the first day you return from your break." He pointed out.

Everyone rioted and rammed along in the cafeteria, protesting their heads off.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Alex growled.

"And on to the next announcement, Coach Flak will take over." Principal Philips stated. After a while, a piercing screeching sound murdered our eardrums and we all groaned.

A clear of a throat came when the screeching sound ended.

"Good day, fellow students of Oakland Woods High! This is Coach Flak." He told us all through the megaphones.

"Boo!" Luke stated with a mouthful.

"It's been a great year for the Hurling team this past semester, courtesy to our favorite captain, Hunter Hamilton," He mentioned. Hunter and his cult roared in applause.

"Anyway, geniuses, this year we're planning on making this an epic year for all including me." Coach said. "Due to the recent chicken pox/pink eye pandemic –thank you Goldstein – we won't be having our first game which will qualify for the state championships. However, we will be able to get through after winter break which will require hard work and dedication from all you lazy asses! So now I've come to a decision. From here on out, we're immediately switching to co-captains, congratulations Mr. Mazzola," Coach Flak stated.

Everyone's eyes narrowed over to Justin who had a shocked look, lingering all over him.

"What the hell? What is this? Huh! What the hell is this?!" I heard a loud shout coming over from the table across the cafeteria. I turned to see Hunter stomping on his feet in absolute frustration whilst Felicity tried calming him down.

"Now this takes nothing from you Hamiltoad, this is about combining separate strengths into one unit. Mazzola's unit and Hamilton's unit equals one big…unit!" Coach Flak stated. "Thank you,"

Hunter and his clique began storming out of the cafeteria. He glared at Justin with flared anger before leaving through the doors.

I laughed and spun my head over to Justin.

"Omigosh! You're team captain!"

"Woohoohoo!" Luke screeched as he shot up and began boogie dancing, causing annoyed eyes to transfix on him. "Party, yeah," He murmured awkwardly as he saw all eyes on him and sat down.

Justin was still shocked.

"Our next announcement is the Junior prom. As you all know, this event is extremely important to all you girls." The principal stated.

"Not me," Alex stated.

"So I'd like to point out that casting of the nominees will be announced when you all return. Last but not least, the supply closet is now strictly off limits for frolicking in, we've received complaints from the janitors so if it's not too much to ask, stay away from there children. Also, don't forget to donate one dollar into the contribution box, to fix the leakage in the locker rooms, caused by none other Mr. Goldstein," Principal Philips groaned. "Stay safe and have a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year."

"I hope it's finally over. Oh, the agony!" Alex pointed out.

I laughed.

… …

Felicity came over to my house straight afterschool to "study" with me –which wasn't needed – and help me prepare for tonight. We were heading to the movies with our um, boyfriends. We were going to watch Tears Of Blood –this crazy horror movie I've been dying to see with Jacob – and we'd be heading to the fare later on tonight!

Alex couldn't make it because she'd much rather spend her time doing anything else than spending a day with Felicity. Her words and I totally respected that. I just thought it'd be fun hanging out with her, maybe another time.

I unfurled my closet room and pulled the rack where I set up outfits for occasions like this. I had to switch Alice's over the top ensemble just a little bit. I was just a teenage girl, not a runway model!

I pulled the first outfit and showed it to Felicity, it was a ruffled, patterned blouse with a skirt and a red blazer.

She hummed, eying it properly before saying,

"Mmm, pass," She said.

I frowned then turned back and grabbed a leopard printed sundress. She shook her head,

"Pass." She said quickly.

I giggled and turned back to my closet and snatched a tight, with a tank top and a red cardigan. She sighed.

"Pass," She told me.

I like this one!

"Okay, Rens. You have stellar clothes, I'll give you that, but you seem to have trouble grouping them together." She laughed as she got up and walked up to me, entering my walk-in closet. "Let's see…"

She began scanning through all my outfits on the rack.

"Pass." She said, sliding one away. "Pass," She said, sliding another away. "Pass on all of it. Okay! I think we're in a little predicament. You have gorgeous clothes but my respect for your taste in fixing it up is dwindling by the second," She teased.

I rolled my eyes.

She snatched a few pieces from each outfit and put them together. She eyed what she had down and frowned.

"Huh," She scoffed. "How about this?" She handed it to me.

I sighed and walked over to my mirror. I placed the outfit in front of me.

It looked great!

The door suddenly unfurled and I shot my head up to see my dad waltzing into the room in a plaid shirt tucked into his dark jeans and accessorized with a brown belt, carrying a jacket in his grasp.

I frowned.

What the hell was he doing here?

I turned to Felicity whose jaw dropped to the floor when she saw my dad.

"Uh, hello dad?" I questioned with a confused look.

He smiled at me, and then noticed my facial expression and sighed.

"Right, sorry, I forgot to knock." He told me, giving me his shy crooked grin.

I told my dad to never just waltz into my room unannounced. I mean who'd want to be caught coming out of the shower by their dad! How embarrassing!

Felicity scoffed and hopped onto my bed and lay there in a sensual position, twirling the tips of her long hair and placing her left hand on her hips.

"Hey, Mr. Cullen," She giggled, giving my father a quick survey.

Dad gave her a nod and a polite smile.

I frowned. Was my friend flirting with my dad?

Oh right! I forgot that my dad was once attractive to everyone in this entire world! And apparently still is.

"Dad, do you need something?" I questioned awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Uh yeah, your mother and I are heading out for date night and we're going to stop by and visit Seth later so I came in to tell you, you're staying in tonight." He said to me.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

Was he serious?

"What? I'm going out with my friends tonight." I told him.

He knew that!

"No, not when there's some animal or serial killer trying to slaughter the whole town." He informed me. I eyed him carefully.

Why was he doing this?

"Dad, dad, I've been –" I tried to protest but he stopped me.

"Ah, ah," He called. I sighed. "It's not fully my decision. There's a curfew tonight around this perimeter so no one's allowed to be out after 9:00 pm."

I rolled my eyes, gnawing my bottom lip,

He seriously is impossible.

"I'm not trying to be impossible I'm trying to be reasonable." He told me as he read my mind. I shifted my gaze from him. "I'm sorry but rules are rules."

I rolled my eyes, throwing my outfit onto my bed and sighing in frustration.

"Hey," Dad called out. I turned to him. I noticed a change in his appearance. He darkened his hair and applied a few highlights of grey to make him seem older than he was. "No more arguing," He warned me.

I nodded.

"Have a good day Felicity." Dad stated, nodding at her before dismissing himself.

"You too," Felicity hummed, eyeballing him as he left the room.

When the door shut, Felicity giggled.

"Hot," She said. She got up from the bed and stared at me. "Someone's daddy's little girl?"

I gnawed on my bottom lip as I thought about what just happened. Why was my dad being an annoyance lately? Ever since we came to California he's been treating me like I'm some top-notch kid that needed a bodyguard 24/7. He's too overprotective, once I thought it was so awesome and I thought I felt safe but now I feel like a prisoner.

"Sometimes," I sighed and then grabbed my jacket. "But not tonight," I added and slipped my hat on, and began creeping over to the door to make sure the door was locked.

I tiptoed my way over to the window.

One of the disadvantages of having soundproof doors is that nobody out of them can hear me.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Felicity asked me.

I didn't answer as I climbed out of the window and stood on the roof.

I watched my dad's car leave the driveway and I smiled in anticipation.

Everyone was out.

Perfect!

As soon as the coast was clear, I began sauntering carefully on the tiled roof.

"Renesmee! You're not gonna jump are you?" Felicity asked me in absolute panic.

I smiled as I stood on the edge. I sucked in a deep breath before flipping over the new two-story house and landing perfectly on my two feet.

"Great reflexes!" I whispered breathlessly, staring up at Felicity who had eyes of astonishment. "You coming?"

She stared at me as if I was crazy, maybe I was.

"I'll take the stairs." She replied.

… …

After watching the movie, we all headed to the fare where almost everyone from the school was hiding out. What I liked the most about Oakland Woods was it never snowed.

After getting on rides, we decided to play the 'land' games. It was pretty competitive. And it seemed like Felicity and I were more into it than the boys were.

I guess it's because of the tension.

I shot the spray gun at the balloon target until it popped. I squealed and did a little jump when I won the huge panda bear.

"What aren't you great at, Rens?" Justin asked in astonishment.

I blushed as I handed the bear to him to carry.

"So what happened to Luke?" I asked him as I skimmed through the different games we could tackle.

"Well uh…he couldn't make it. He didn't want to interfere in Felicity and Hunter's couple time." Justin laughed.

I sighed.

"He really likes her, doesn't he?" I asked. He nodded his head.

"Since the fourth grade," Justin told me.

That's so sad. Luke had had a crush on Felicity for years and she had no idea. I don't even think she paid attention to him.

We then went over 'hammer-thrash' as they called it.

"I don't think I can do that." I told them.

Justin took the sledgehammer from my grasp and slammed it against the bouncer, causing the target to hit the bell. I squealed and clapped my hands.

"Great shot!" I giggled as I watched the man hand him his prize.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with a stuffed tiger though," He said as he stared at the object. I laughed.

I could hear our friends arguing beside us as they waited for their turn.

"Hunter?" Felicity called him out as she twirled the tips of her hair.

"What?" Hunter groaned, with his arms crossed.

"I don't like your look," Felicity told her boyfriend.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "I don't care,"

"Can you just attempt to have a good time?" Felicity snapped, darting her head at him.

He turned to her and gave her expression of annoyance.

"Can you not invite me out with your lame friends?" Hunter growled, staring at his girlfriend with disgust.

I widened my eyes and tilted my head to Justin. Someone needs to be in a naughty corner and cool off the hater aid.

"Okay, then…" Felicity sighed, continuing with her twirling. "Oh and try not to hurt your wrist out there, because you're definitely going to need it tonight."

Hunter scoffed. "At least I have a tight grip,"

"Let's start a new game. Hmm?" Felicity said, getting up from her seat. "I'll go first."

Hunter mocked her.

She grabbed the sledgehammer and gave it a hard shot, causing it to hit the bell lightly.

I widened my eyes.

"Um, wow!"

"Thank you!" She grinned like a five year old as she took the stuffed wolf from him. "I don't like wolves but it's cute nonetheless," She giggled.

My eyes lingered over to the stuffed wolf and I couldn't help but wander off to thinking about Jacob. I try not to think about him but I just can't kill the feeling. Everything I see, I see Jacob and I really don't know how to stop.

Justin and I decided to take a walk around the park after another round of carnival games.

"So you're going to your granddad's wedding?" He asked me.

"Yeah, I'm really excited." I told him.

He smiled.

"Do you have a date?"

"Nope," I replied.

"Oh," He grinned slightly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, I don't want a date," I teased him. "I'm going stag. I wouldn't want a repeat of you ditching me again."

He chuckled. "I'm sorry about that, again."

I shook my head.

"Hey, about that, you caught a ride with Ray Parker right?" Justin asked in curiousity.

"Your friend?"

"He's not my friend," Justin snarled lowly. I frowned. "How much did you talk to him when he drove you home that other night?"

"Not much at all," I replied.

Why was he so interested?

"What did you say?" He asked me aggressively.

I suddenly began feeling awkward as I felt his eyes pierce through me like blades. I was feeling uncomfortable answering under pressure.

I stared at my watch.

"Um, I think I better get going." I told him as I began walking away.

"Renesmee—"

"I-I really have to go." I told him.

He grabbed me by the wrist and made me spin around.

"I'm sorry for asking you those questions I just. I don't know. I'm really sorry," He said to me, although I knew he wasn't completely telling the truth.

I sighed.

"My parents are going to kill me now that I'm way past my curfew," I told him, immediately changing the subject.

"Oh you're right about that," I heard my Uncle Emmett's voice appear.

My eyes widened and heart sped up as I spun around to see him and Aunt Rosalie standing in front of us.

I'm doomed.

… …

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Thank you for all the support, continue by please reviewing! And a follow and favorite would be appreciated.**


	14. Chapter 14: Return to Washington

**JACOB'S POV**

I reached the familiar red house and pulled in the cramped driveway, right next to my dad's old truck.

After almost a day and a half of driving, we finally made it to Washington, and by 'we' I mean Seth and I. My dad called me to tell me that he needed help with something so that's why we're earlier than planned so we could help everyone with the ceremony and the bonfire tonight.

The Cullen's would be coming over a bit later. They offered to get us a flight to Washington but I gladly declined –much to Seth's disdain, he's not that all pleased he'd never get his first time flying in a plane.

I noticed Charlie's cruiser parked beside my dad's truck.

Seth and I slipped out of the car and took a moment to just breathe in the La Push, Reservation air.

"Ahh …home sweet home!" Seth hummed.

"Not your home, buddy." I said to him as I shut the door.

"Yeah well, I'm your dad's favorite so…" He pointed out. I scoffed as he and I both made it to the house.

I unfurled the door and entered to the sound of laughter.

"Dad!" I called out through the small house, shutting the door as Seth came in.

"Kitchen!"

Seth and I entered the kitchen to see my father by the stove, whipping up his favorite oxtail soup whilst Charlie was standing by him with a glass of water.

"Hey, Dad!" I greeted him.

"Jacob!" He beamed as he looked up at me and placed his spatula on the counter, and then began wheeling over to me. I bent down to embrace him and pat him on the back. "It's good to see you son,"

"Yeah, it's good to see me too." I laughed as we pulled away. He smiled. "I've been gone way too long, I almost forgot how the house looked like."

"Yeah you have been gone for way too long. I'm starting to regret feeding you off to those bloodsuckers –" Billy stated but was stopped when Charlie cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, 'bloodsuckers'?" Charlie asked.

Shit! Shit!

"Well uh it's a nickname we got them nothing big, no need to worry big man. Relax…you're marrying my mom this weekend. It's something to be happy about." Seth covered up, patting Charlie on the shoulder.

Thank you Seth! I mentally sighed in relief.

"Yeah, that's a mission I'm trying to wrap my head around." Charlie stated with a sigh. "I mean, marriage…I never thought I'd come to this."

"It's never too late to back out?" Billy suggested with a shrug. I smiled.

"Yes it is!" Seth retorted as if what my dad said was a complete sin.

Charlie sighed.

"You can't be having doubts now Charlie." I said to him. "You're only days away from standing at the altar."

"I'm not having doubts about her, don't get me wrong I love Sue with all my heart I just…I don't know. I feel like I'm way too old for this." He chuckled.

"And you're not getting any younger either," Seth laughed, taking a bite of an apple. Charlie rolled his eyes at his future step-son.

"Thanks," He said sarcastically.

"What I mean is. The love you and my mom have for each other is something you shouldn't pass up even with age. My dad would've wanted my mom to be happy and you make her happy Charlie. Your love is strong. _**You can't let anything get in the way of that love.**_" Seth stated.

"Says this from the kid who just wanted to have an adventure," Billy and Charlie laughed.

I was shocked myself. I knew Seth was a sweet kid, but I never thought he was a love guru.

"Did California change you, son?" Billy questioned.

Seth shrugged. "I guess I see things differently now,"

"Anyway, thanks kid, I guess I needed that assurance." Charlie stated.

That was when silence crept up on us and it turned slightly awkward.

"This is getting depressing," I pointed out. "When is the bonfire starting again?"

"In three hours," Charlie replied.

"Oh which reminds me, Jacob, you need to go pick Sam up." Dad told me.

"What happened to his car?" I asked.

"Not sure," Billy replied, wheeling over to the stove and stirred the soup.

I frowned.

"You excited for your bachelor party?" Seth lightly squealed as he patted Charlie on the back.

"Bachelor party? I think I'm a little too old for those."

"Age is just a number baby!" Seth squeaked as he ran off into the living room as he heard the big game playing. I laughed.

"So Jake, how's California been? How are my two favorite girls?" He asked me.

By two favorite girls he meant Bella and Nessie –I hope.

"It's great I guess. it's certainly not as cold as here and believe it or not…the food's better in Forks." I said to him. He chuckled.

"I doubt it,"

"Bella's okay…I mean she misses everything in Forks but she's great. Edward's keeping her intact,"

"In more ways than one Charlie!" Seth shouted from the living room.

"I really don't want to know," Charlie said in disgust, shaking his head. I smiled. "And Ness?"

Nessie…

Oh Nessie…

I certainly won't tell him that Nessie's looking really hot lately. Or better yet, "Oh yes, I've been having feelings for your granddaughter, she's super-hot". I don't think so.

"She's good I guess. She's doing well in school, everyone loves her but there's no shocker there." I said with a huge grin.

Stop it Jake! Or you'll make it obvious and Charlie will have a reason to arrest your dirty ass!

"I hope no boys are chasing after her," He stated, his protective granddad side coming out.

Come on, Charlie. Have you seen her?

"Oh um…I wouldn't know," I laughed awkwardly.

"'Cause if there is, I'll make it my personal duty to castrate those hormonal halfwits. Nobody touches my granddaughter," He grunted. I literally gulped. If only he knew.

"Except for Jakey-Wakey," Seth stated in a way that only I could hear. I glared at him and growled lowly.

"Oh shush Charlie," Billy stated. "She's almost eighteen; she can take care of herself and I think that Edward and Jake will make sure nothing happens to her, right Jake?"

I glared at him. Come on dad, why do you have to put me on the spot? Your best friend's a freaking cop and standing right in the middle of the freaking kitchen!

"Yeah, most definitely," I chuckled awkwardly, making sure I don't meet with Charlie's gaze.

I've never been this nervous standing in front of Charlie before. If I was nervous now, what will happen if Nessie and I ever get together?

Well that's not going to happen anytime soon…

A beeper went off and Charlie was quick to reach for his pocket. He sighed when he took one look at it.

"I have to head down to the station in a few. The tech guys called, they think they know what happened to one of the cells." Charlie said to Billy.

"What's happening?" Seth questioned as he entered the room, leaning against the doorframe.

"Yeah and why are you working on Christmas break? Shouldn't you be well…on a break?" I asked.

"There's too many cases piling up, people breaking through cells, it's crazy." He replied.

That's weird. Charlie never had this many cases while we were still around.

"Anyway, see you guys later." Charlie stated. "Seth, your mother said she needs to see you ASAP!"

"Yes pops!" Seth teased. Charlie groaned and we all laughed.

"Well dad, I think we're going to head out as well. Got to pick big alpha Sam up from preschool," I said with a sigh. "Ready to go?" I asked Seth.

"Yeah," He stated.

"Later, dad!" I called out before heading out of the house and over to my car. I immediately lunged, slapping him at the back of the head, causing him to hit the bonnet. He whined.

"What the hell was –?" He moaned.

"You know what that was for! Get in." I stated as I hopped into the driver's seat.

He rolled his eyes as he followed and hopped into the passenger seat.

"Crazy ass," I heard him murmur.

"What was that?" I questioned.

"Hmm? Nothing…" He shook his head.

I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, slipping my keys into the ignition and turning it on and driving off.

"Why do you have _Playboy _in your car?" Seth questioned as he picked a magazine up from the ground. "Oh wait, it's _Sports Illustrated_." He teased.

I looked at the magazine to see that it was a _Car and Driver_ November, 2013 issue. I rolled my eyes and snatched it from him.

"You're an idiot." I said to him.

"Hey! I was gonna read that."

I shook my head.

"So, Alex called. She told me she's having a terrible time in Italy with her family right now. Look, even when she's miserable she manages to look so hot and adorable!" He laughed as he showed me a picture of the pretty girl, playing around with her food.

"That's great Seth," I said, my eyes not leaving the road.

"Oh come on, I know you got rejected, I know it feels bad, I know it hurts." Seth stated. "But you need to seriously get a grip! You're the life of the party Jake, there's no party without Jacob Black so we need you, okay!"

I sighed and tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

"I didn't get rejected," I whispered to myself but even I couldn't lie convincingly even to myself and my beaten ego.

When is this weekend going to end?

We made it to Sam's house in less than five minutes and parked on his lawn. I know how grumpy that makes him.

Seth and I slipped out of the car, making our way over to the traditionalized house and knocked on the door.

"Can you believe it's been four months since we've been here?" Seth asked. "I mean it feels like it's been four years rather than four months like –"

"Please shut up," I stated gruffly.

"Come on why do you have to be such a saltywolf?" He asked me.

The door was immediately unfurled –thankfully – and Emily's warming smile was in full display.

"Oh wow! Jacob, Seth, come in, come in!" She greeted, kindly stepping aside so we could get in.

"How're doing Em?" I asked her.

"I'm good. God! Are all you wolves' descendants of trees? What the hell is this?" She asked as she looked up at both Seth and I.

She looked like a miniature horse compared to us. I laughed.

"Sam will be down in a minute, he's just busy with some _business._" She told me. I nodded my head.

"Unca Take!" I heard the sound of the light tapping of two feet and a high-pitched voice calling my name. I looked down to see a kid with long hair and chubby legs making his way over to me and hugging my leg.

Emily and Sam got hitched almost a year after Nessie was born, and four years later they had a kid.

"Hey, there!" I laughed. "Is this Kamryn?" I gasped as I lifted the kid swiftly off the ground and throwing him in the air.

"Yeah, he's been bugging about seeing you guys all day." Emily smiled as she continued her cooking for the bonfire tonight. "Kam, why don't you tell Uncle Jake how old you'll be in two weeks' time?"

Kamryn tried to register his age by counting on his small fingers before flashing three fingers at me in confidence. "Free!"

"Three?" I questioned as if it was the best thing I've heard all day. "Well I'll be turning twenty-four in two weeks' time, and guess what, it's on the same day as yours." I told him.

He giggled.

Am I actually enjoying a conversation with a three year old? Wow Jake…this is a new low even for you!

"Unca Seth, c my Lego collect— thing-y!" Kamryn squirmed from my arms and I set him down, watching him pull Seth over to the messy living room.

Poor Seth…

A short girl with long black hair came into view, smashing her fingers on the screen of a phone.

"Whoa! Is this Claire-bear?" I laughed, seeing the ten year old making her way into the kitchen. "How's it going?"

"Yeah, hey Jake," She said, grabbing a muffin before running off to the other room.

"Geez," I mentioned as I was sure she was out of sight. "Is _this _what kid life is like these days?" I asked, hopping onto the counter.

"Yeah, she's been on that phone ever since she got it for her tenth birthday." Emily told me. "You must be getting really old Jake."

"Oh yeah, you can even see my grey hair? It's not prominent but it's there." I joked. She giggled.

I heard a flush coming from the bathroom and Rachel appearing into the room, wiping the water from her mouth with her cardigan and coughing. She smiled when she saw me.

"Hey Jake," She said to me.

"You look terrible," I said to her. "And you smell terrible too."

"Gee, thanks," She said, draping her arms around my neck in a hug before pulling away. "When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago," I replied to my older sister. You wouldn't think that since she was about half my size.

"Did you head over to see dad?" She asked me. I nodded my head. "Paul and I moved out around when you left."

"Oh so that's why the Dorito packet is still in dad's cabinet?" I asked. She chuckled and punched my shoulder lightly before heading over to Emily to continue helping her with the food.

"Are you good?" Emily asked my sister.

"Yeah I'm fine," Rachel nodded her head convincingly. Emily frowned. "Seriously, I promise, I'm fine Em,"

"Well I'm done!" We heard a familiar voice that I could remember I could bow down to at any given call.

I looked to see Sam entering the room. Damn did he look different or maybe I've been gone for way too long. He looked…older?

"Sup, Sam," I greeted him.

He looked at me and grinned.

Over the years, ever since the two packs were formed, Sam and I grew closer. I mean I thought it'd make our relationship worse since we're rivaling packs but it actually didn't, we became great friends and since we had the whole 'alpha-intuition' thing he called it, we got along over that.

We were still close but they still weren't too pleased at the fact that I'm also close to a family of our enemy, and I'm imprinted with one of them but they'll just get over it and endure it.

"My dad told me you wanted me to pick you up? You wanted to talk about something?" I asked Sam.

"Uh yeah…I just want to hold up a pack meeting before we set up the bonfire." He told me.

I frowned. "Is something wrong?" I asked, looking between Rachel and Emily's weak smiles.

I turned back to Sam who gave me a worried look.

Yep something's wrong.

… …

"I've called this pack meeting to order because I have an announcement to make." Sam began as we stood in the yard of my dad's house. "Since our um…_allies_—" He strained. "The Cullen's have left the town, there hasn't been any persistent vampire activities happening for the past four and a half months. Although, there is a great need to keep the packs together, some of us went our separate ways, in the likes of Jacob Black, and Seth Clearwater."

Where the hell is he going with this?

"I don't like where this is going," Seth whispered to me.

"I think you've noticed that I'm not getting any younger anymore and that my son, Kamryn Levi Uley is growing up way too quickly and my wife is aging as well. I would like to spend as much time as possible with them as ever and I can't do that with all the pack obligations."

Get to the point please! I'm on edge!

"So I've come to a decision from my side to…" He took a deep breath, gulping in some air before saying the dreadful words. "I've decided to step down of my title as alpha of the Uley pack."

Everyone gasped.

Dammit! I knew it. I mean I've known it from the very beginning but I knew it! Ugh!

The pack has grown over the years so the kids who didn't understand the whole imprinting process were rather shocked.

"Look you guys, you need to understand that this decision is based on my family's wellbeing, not because I'm neglecting you in anyway." He tried to console his pack. "I'm sorry,"

"Who's going to take your place?" Tyler questioned from the back.

Sam turned to me before turning back to his pack. "U-uh I'm not sure. The person that would've taken over would've been Jake but since he's not with us. I guess I have a lot of thinking to do." He stated.

There were whispers, hums and gasps among people but I guess the 'original' pack members weren't too surprised about Sam's revelation.

"Jacob," Sam whispered to me. I looked up to see him gesturing for me to come over to him.

I got up and made my way over to him until we found ourselves standing inside the woods, yards away from hearing range.

"Look Jake. I've been planning to stop phasing for a long time now, and I always thought you'd take over the duties, but now that you're gone. I'm finding it hard to figure out who I want next. Paul's not going to be a wolf for long, Jared doesn't seem interested…"

"Do you want me to come back?" I asked.

He contemplated for a minute, probably registering what I was saying. Something I didn't even think about conscientiously.

"You can't leave your imprint behind." He simply said to me.

Then it hit me. Of course I couldn't leave Nessie behind, and I can't exactly ask her to come back with me either way, she's just settling in.

I sighed. "What about Leah? She's my second in command,"

He frowned. "I've thought about that but…we've never been on the best of terms. Can you talk to her?"

I nodded my head.

"Of course," I said to him. He nodded. "And congratulations with the whole 'shutting down the phase' thing. Is it okay if I say congrats?" I asked.

Personally, I wouldn't ever see myself not being a shapeshifter anymore, or even have the courage to stop. All those vampire deaths would've been for nothing.

He laughed.

"Uh thank you, it was long overdue. I'm just happy I get to grow old with my family." He said to me.

I smiled.

"Anyway, we've got a bonfire to get to." He said to me.

"Yeah," I laughed.

… …

We all laughed as Seth teased Quil on a growing preteen Claire Young. Claire had developed uh…a little 'crush' on Quil for the past weeks or so after catching him accidently in all his glory after he came out of the Uley shower. I could see it in his face he had been dreading on the upcoming 8 years, when _bigger_ feelings would start to develop.

I kind of knew what he was going through. Oh who am I kidding? I knew exactly what he was going through! It's just that mine was a little sped up than his was.

"Guys, cut Quil some slack," I tried to help the guy out as we all stood by the grill. "It's not like he can control what goes on in a ten year old's mind."

"Thank you!" Quil retorted.

"Yeah, yeah," Everyone said with rolled eyes.

"So Seth, you finally joined the crew," Jared pointed out.

"Oh yeah, you imprinted! Congrats man," Embry added, clapping his hands together.

"Where did you guys hear that?" Seth questioned, looking ole disappointed. "I wanted it to be a surprise,"

"Your mom couldn't stop blabbing about it to the entire rez," Paul stated.

"Of course she couldn't," Leah stated. "I am so glad Charlie's whisked her away from us."

"Gee Leah, what did mom ever do to you?" Seth teased. Leah glared at him. "Do you guys wanna see a pic?"

"Yeah sure," Jared shrugged his shoulders whilst the rest agreed.

Oh here we go! Here goes Seth drifting away into 'Smitten-world'. He can't stay one day without talking or showcasing something that had to do with Alex. I mean I get it, you're imprinted and young in love and all that but you could always just tone it down!

But I knew myself enough to know that I wasn't quite that irritated, I was more of envious of his recent relationship with his mate.

Seth began showing the pack pictures of him and Alex and then Alex alone and then back to them together again.

"Dayuummm!" Jared stated. "She's got spunk!"

"What? Kim's not doing it for ya buddy?" Embry questioned and everyone laughed.

Jared rolled his eyes, giving Embry a right hook in the face which was pretty much painless and made Embry just guffaw.

"How old is she?" Sam asked.

"U-umm…" Seth paused, slipping his phone in his back pocket. "She's 17,"

Jared, Paul, Sam and Embry all laughed at him.

"17?" Jared questioned.

"That's illegal!"

"Hey! At least I didn't imprint on a two year old, or better yet, imprinted on a girl who's like five minutes old, no offense Jake." Seth said to all of us.

Everyone chuckled.

"Yeah but that's different and it's still illegal Seth, do you really want to get yourself locked up or are you just really stupid?" Leah snarled, gritting her teeth together. "She doesn't know anything about 'our world'!"

"So did Kim and Rachel!" Seth protested.

"What will happen if you tell her and she tells everybody she knows? The whole pack will be implicated if this ends badly." She argued.

"I don't think she'd do that." Seth chuckled.

Leah growled. "How would you know? You've only known this girl for three months and suddenly you think you know her like a book? This girl could very well be a criminal or a freaking kleptomaniac!"

"That's not how an imprint works Leah? Haven't you seen it from all the girls we've imprinted on? They're not a threat to our secret and you know that!" Sam brought up.

Leah narrowed her blazed eyes at him. Dang! What got her so worked up?

"Sam shut up! You're the man who managed to leave a scar on a woman for life and you prove to love her?" She questioned with a scoff. "Some love huh,"

Everyone fell silent, all eyes literally on Sam, waiting to see him blow up and phase on the spot. Instead, Sam clenched his jaw and clamped his fists together, trying to refrain from losing his mind and then began stomping out of the yard and headed inside.

Jared whistled as silence crept up on all of us.

"Leah, that was cold," Jared stated in a whisper.

Leah didn't reply and just followed Sam's trail, heading into the house.

The epic showdown between Leah and Sam that we've all been hoping to see had just finally happened but I always thought it'll feel better than this. However, there was something behind Leah's anger rant, and I don't think it's the fact that Seth imprinted on a mere human who had no knowledge of the supernatural world.

There was more too it…

"So Jake…" Embry cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortably awkward silence. "How's Nessie?"

"She's good I guess,"

"Oh shit, the meat!" Quil stated as he ran over to the griller.

Everyone was now congregated around the huge fire, sitting on the logs as we listened to the legends, before drifting off to the main topic which were Sue and Charlie's penultimate nuptials coming up.

Sam and Leah were sitting yards away from each other but you could still sense the tension in the air even as Sam smiled whilst sitting with his wife and kid. It's good that Kamryn took Sam's mind off what just happened.

"We are all gathered here today to witness the union of Sue Clearwater and Charlie Swan. I've known Charlie for a very long time and I've never seen him love a woman as much as he loves this woman right her," Billy said, grabbing hold of Sue's hand. "Personally I think this is all my fault. If I hadn't allowed him to pour Sue that drink, none of this would've been happening," My dad joked around. We all laughed.

"Yeah right!" Charlie called out.

"But as your best man, Charlie, I'd like to say that I'm really happy for you, both of you." He stated.

I smelt the familiar scent hit my nostrils and I looked up to see Nessie appearing and taking a seat right next a couple of the imprints. I couldn't help the smile creep on the tips of my lips.

"Your love inspires us, and it will go on inspiring us, every day and as long as we may live. So we're going to be there at your wedding, we're going to watch you guys get married, and watch you live happily ever after."

We all applauded and Charlie got up from his seat and went over to give my dad a huge hug. The girls cooed over the scene.

After everyone congratulated Sue and Charlie, Paul wolf whistled, causing everyone to focus their attention on him standing with my sister.

"Um…sorry," Rachel began. "I know it isn't the right time and I promise we're not trying to steal your thunder guys but…um…Paul and I have something to say,"

Where were these two going with this?

"I knocked her up!" Paul shouted out, lifting Rachel up and spinning her around.

Whoa! Wait what?

All the guys cheered and the girls squealed as they all ran over to Rachel. I laughed as the pack lifted him off the ground and carried him over to the lake, throwing him in.

I took a sip of my drink and turned around to see Nessie grinning widely as she talked to a couple of teenage girls. I inhaled a deep breath and sauntered my way over to her.

"Ness," I called her.

She spun around and showcased that radiant smile that I loved.

"Hey!" She giggled. "Uh…congratulations,"

"For?" I asked in obliviousness.

"You're going to be an uncle," She said to me as if it was pretty obvious.

"Oh right," I said.

Stupid Jake! Stupid!

"So when did you get here?" I asked her.

"Um about an hour ago, I couldn't miss this bonfire. It's becoming really surreal, my granddad's getting married." She laughed. "And what your dad said…he's really awesome," She giggled.

"No he's not. He's embarrassing," I said to her. She chuckled.

"No, no actually I thought what he said was really beautiful a-and I think he just won _Best Man of the Year_." She told me. I sniggered.

I took a chance to notice her outfit and she was dressed in a loosely creamy dress and a denim jacket, with her locket and the necklace I made for her dangling off her neck. She looked gorgeous with her long bronze hair curled to the side in a ponytail made her look extra beautiful –if it were even possible.

"You look great by the way," I said to him.

"Really? Thanks, I just threw this on, didn't know what was appropriate," She said to me with her cheeks flustering.

"You can make anything look appropriate," I said to him.

I shut my eyes and shook my head. Did I really just say that?

She laughed nervously.

"U-humm…I think I'm going to talk to Charlie and Sue." She told me. She then draped her arms around me and got on her tiptoe to hug me tightly. I instantaneously returned the embrace and mesmerized in the moment.

She was first to pull away. Our eyes interlocked and our breaths were steady, but I could hear her heart beating fast, faster than normal. It felt like we were standing here forever and we were the only ones around.

She cleared her throat and giggled.

"Um…yeah, I'll see you later." She said to me, pulling away from me and walked over to Charlie and Sue.

I sighed. "You can make anything look appropriate? Really, Jake?" I asked myself.

I was always smooth with words, or at least I thought I was but it seemed like Nessie…there's just something about Nessie that just brings out the dorky, nervousness, quirky side out of me.

I can't help it. I mean every time I look at her I get this caverned feeling in my chest and it's like someone literally dug a hole in it and it's the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. I never knew I could feel this bad…

I am so whipped.

"So how come you didn't kiss her?" My sister asked me as she took a seat next to me on the log.

"What?"

"How come you didn't kiss Nessie?" Rachel questioned.

I frowned. What was she talking about?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I scoffed as I sipped from my beer –which had no effect on me.

"I've been watching you perceptively tonight, the way you glance at her every five minutes, the moment you guys just had. You guys totally are smitten yet nobody goes for it." She said to me.

"Have you told her how you feel?"

"She'll know…someday," I said to her.

I felt her small hand hit me on the back of my head as hard as she possibly could.

"Are you kidding me? 'She'll know'? Listen, dumbass, I'm going to let you in on a little secret that many men get wrong. Are you ready?" She began. "Women…love…words."

"Okay…" I hummed.

"Listen, Jake…" She paused. "You need to tell her how you feel. Tell her exactly how you feel."

"Just tell her…tell it to her again," She chuckled. "Learn how to tell her differently, learn how to tell it to her better, learn how to tell her at the top of your lungs, learn how to sing it." She added. I chuckled. "Mom isn't here to tell you this but I'm pretty sure if she was she would. If you want something you take it."

"It's not that easy Rach. I mean, not only is she still young but her dad won't exactly give me the rite of passage to court his daughter." I said to her.

"Remember when we were kids and you asked mom and dad to take you to that lake that had that snake?" She asked.

"It was a crocodile but yeah," I corrected.

"And remember how they told you not to?" She asked. "Did that stop you from going to that lake and in the process getting hypothermia?"

I laughed. "No,"

"That's what I'm talking about, Jake. Every obstacle you face, you never let that take away your chances of getting what you want. So are you gonna let some rule get in the way of being with your mate? Your one true love?"

Wow…I never thought of it that way.

"You know just tell her, write it in a poem attached to a letter, make a sculpture with the words carved on it, get a tattoo of her name on your chest –"

"Isn't all that cheesy?"

"Sure, but it works. Just tell her the truth okay, tell her everything and anything." Rachel pressed.

I smiled.

She was right. I needed to tell her, I don't care about anything anymore, if I can get what I want then this would be my number one. If she doesn't feel the same way I would, I'd be utterly broken –it's a given – but at least I'll be hurt knowing that she knows.

"I can't believe I'm going to be an uncle," I said to her.

"I can't believe I'm going to be a mom!" She laughed. "In six months I'm going to be a mother to a child,"

"Paul's child to add on that, it's a shame my niece or nephew's going to be a hothead," I told her with a sigh. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't make me regret giving you that advice, okay boy?" She warned.

I laughed.

… …

**A/N: Hey guys! Wowza's! What did you guys think? I love writing on the pack members and members of the tribe, their dynamic is just amazing,**

**I hope you enjoyed Jacob's POV. I really wanted to channel relationships I've always loved. **

**Jake's on a mission guys! Will he be able to succeed in swooning Nessie? Or will there be another obstacle in his way.**

**Find out in the next chapter of Dusk Horizon (Jacob and Bella's POV). **

**Please review, follow and favorite.**


	15. Chapter 15: My Dad's Wedding

**BELLA'S POV**

Today was my dad, Charlie and Sue's wedding.

It's been over a day since we came back to Forks, and Nessie couldn't wait to head over to the bonfire. Although we could've been there too, I'm pretty sure the wolves won't be thrilled to have the smell of vampires lingering in the air.

It was just Edward, Nessie and I who'd attend my dad's wedding so I guess that lessens the drama.

But it's my dad's wedding, and I should enjoy it.

"Ready?" My handsome husband asked as he fixed the cufflinks of his suit blazer. I smiled and nodded my head. He gave me a quick survey of me in my –lengthy silky single-strapped violet dress with a knee-height slit – and flashed a grin. "You look breathtaking love,"

"Well you don't look so bad yourself." I stated and smiled as I walked up to him and adjusted his bow tie.

I couldn't believe I had this man as my husband, still to this day. My self-conscious side still thinks I'm not worthy of his love, maybe I wasn't but the thought that always lingered in the back of my head was that he loved me enough to give me this life, immortality, a child, a forever.

"That's really sweet, love." He grinned at me.

My eyes widened. Oh! My shield wasn't up. You'd think being a vampire would help with memory huh?

He chuckled.

I flipped my shield back on.

"I thought you loved it when I read your mind." He said to me.

"Sure, but only when I let you in voluntarily," I told him. He smiled and placed his lips on my lips in a soft peck. "Let's go,"

"Yeah," He said as he grabbed his car keys and we left the cottage.

We made it to my dad's house in less than five minutes, thanks to Edward's fast driving. He parked in Charlie's driveway and we slipped out of the car and stepped foot on the soft snow.

Edward handed me my coat. I frowned at him.

"Honey," I began. "Are you forgetting that I'm a vampire? I don't get cold."

He smiled. "Yes, but the humans don't know that." He pointed out. "It's like below zero degrees, love."

"Fine," I rolled my eyes and reluctantly allowed Edward to throw my coat on my shoulders. I held my clutch bag tightly. I'd much rather not have a bag that carried nothing but makeup but Alice gets what Alice wants I guess.

We walked up to my dad's house and knocked on the door. The door was immediately opened and was met with my dad, dressed in his white shirt with his tie dangling off his shoulders and pants.

"Bella!" He panted.

"Um…dad, shouldn't you be dressed. The wedding's in an hour," I chuckled as we entered the house.

"I tried to warn him," Billy's voice appeared as he wheeled into the room, looking dapper in his dark suit and chest corsage.

"You're not panicking are you?" I asked my dad.

"No. Of course not," He scoffed. "I'm just running late s'all," He stated as he fixed up his tie.

"He's nervous," Billy said. Charlie glared at him.

I raised my eyebrow up at my dad. I sighed. "Dad,"

"Bella, don't look at me like that. It's okay to be nervous." He said to me.

"Yeah, when you're the bride," I chuckled. "Were you this nervous when you married mom."

"Never," He said truthfully. "I was too excited about the wedding night which is interesting because that's when you were conceived –"

"Okay um…yeah I really don't need to know that." I shook my head. "Anyway, so what makes that time different than now?"

"It's because I know this time it's going to work." He told me.

"Oh dad," I hummed, pulling him into a hug. "You'll be fine."

"You have nothing to worry about, Charlie," Edward smiled at my dad as we pulled apart and draped his arm around me.

Charlie nodded. "You need to get ready." I stated.

"Yeah," Charlie said, making his way up the stairs. "Oh, can you go check on Sue for me? And give her this," He said, pulling out a long velvet case.

I took it and opened it to see a gorgeous emerald necklace embellished with diamonds. For the first time in a long time, I actually gasped at something so beautiful.

"Dad this is stunning," I said to him. "How could you afford this?"

"I've been saving up." He said to me.

"So sweet," I told him. "I'll make sure I get to her."

"Thank you," He nodded. "Eddie boy, why don't you stay and help me out?"

"My pleasure," Edward grinned, turning back to me. "See you later?"

I nodded and leaned in to kiss him lightly. "Bye guys!" I waved at everyone before heading out of the house and hopping into the Volvo and driving off to Emily's house where the girls were helping Sue prepare for the wedding.

"Bella! It's so great to see you," Sue beamed as I entered the room where Emily and Rachel were applying makeup on her.

I grinned. "It's good to see you too, Sue. Are you excited?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, really excited." She told me. "How's Charlie doing? Is he a nervous wreck?"

"Oh you have no idea." I chuckled. "He told me to give you this," I said, placing the box on the dresser.

"Oh god, the saint in that man. He didn't need to get him anything." Sue giggled.

"Just open it!" Emily said eagerly.

"Yeah, open it." Rachel grinned widely, placing the tips of her index fingers in between her teeth in anticipation.

Sue sighed as she reached for the case and unfurled it, releasing a stunned gasped when she saw necklet.

"Oh my god, it's stunning!" Emily inhaled.

"That's what I said." I smiled.

"Men can be such gentlemen when they want to be," Emily said.

"Charlie's a gentleman all the time," Sue had admitted, her eyes glistening with innocence and happiness. The women had released series of 'oohs' and 'aww's' as she said that.

I eyed the room, searching for someone who'd expected not to be here come to think of it.

"Where's Leah? Shouldn't she be here, she's your maid of honor?" I asked.

"Um…I don't think she's going to make it." Sue mentioned under her cracking breath.

I smiled weakly. If it was my wedding, I'd like Nessie to be there, to at least support me. It doesn't need to be established that Leah has always hated me, and it seemed to have amplified when I turned into a vampire. And now she has to deal with the fact that I'm going to –legally – be her stepsister. I can't say I blame her, but what's really peculiar is how much she's put her anger and frustration out on the people she loved.

"Leah may not be present but the wedding is just as much on, so let's get you ready." Emily stated positively.

"Okay," Sue sniffed and we all giggled.

"Bella, may you get the dress on the chair?" Rachel asked me. I nodded as I made my way over to the chair, grabbing the bag and handing it over to Rachel. 

"Hey, I heard about the pregnancy. Congratulations," I smiled at her. Rachel was by far one of the only Quileute women that opened up to me, despite what I am –behind Emily of course.

"Thanks, Paul's been bugging about getting a child for a long time now. He's pretty adamant it's a girl," Rachel giggled.

"Why does he want a girl?" I asked.

"Well for one, he says and I quote 'I can't wait to kick those guys' asses when she starts dating at 40'" She stated. We all laughed.

"I can't wait to see the hotheaded wolf hold a baby in his arms." Emily said, placing a hairclip in Sue's hair after twirling it with a curling iron.

"How far along are you?"

"Three months," Rachel smiled. "But I can't wait for it to come out yet, the morning sickness isn't my favorite."

"Is it anybody's?" Emily, Sue and I asked in unison and laughed.

"I remember before I had Kamryn, I was craving bacon strips with beef jerky and I don't eat bacon." Emily stated.

"Oh that is the worst. With Leah I craved dark chocolate and with Seth I craved jellybeans with peanut butter." Sue shook her head.

"What about you, Bella?" Rachel asked.

"Oh me? Well the morning sickness was short I'll tell you that," I laughed. "But I ate a lot of eggs, which is Nessie's favorite. She enjoys Edward's eggs better,"

"I've always wanted to taste his eggs." Sue stated.

I smiled at her. I just realized how much how far Edward and I have come in raising Nessie over the past seven years. It feels like just yesterday she was this giddy five year old who just wanted make everyone around her happy and even though she's still similar, she's now a young woman. I couldn't be more proud.

But she's still a teenager at the end of the day, I mean just a week ago, she snuck out the house just to hang out with her friends and her boyfriend. Boyfriend…hmm, I remember when I used to use that term. It still felt weird to me though. Edward isn't exactly pleased about that –which is expected. And I'm not too pleased because I know who she truly belongs with…

"So Bella, are you excited to see Renee again?"

I frowned. What did she say? _Are you excited to see Renee again?_ How was I supposed to react to that?

"What?" I managed to reply with eyes of confusion.

Sue widened her eyes and sighed. "I thought Charlie told you."

So my mom's going to attend her exes wedding? My mom's going to be at the wedding of the father of her daughter. My mom's going to see me again in a long time with me as a totally new person.

How can anybody be ready for that?

The door was immediately unfurled and Leah waltzed in, looking groggy and dressed in some slacks and a tank top.

"Leah, you made it!" Sue gasped as she got out of her seat and ran over to her daughter to embrace her.

Leah pushed her away. "Mom, I told you about the hugging,"

Sue eyed her daughter carefully, giving her a quick survey. "Where's your dress? Why aren't you wearing it?"

"I don't want to wear it." Leah stated, taking a seat and pulling out a bag of Cheetos.

"Did you just wake up?" Sue questioned. Leah nodded her head.

"Actually I woke up an hour ago; I just didn't want to leave the house way too early. I get cranky." She said with a mouthful.

"I am utterly shocked. I thought as my maid of honor, you'd be at least partial and punctual." Sue pointed out, looking quite disappointed. "Why would a maid of honor behave this way?"

"Because I'm sort of not," Leah said.

"I think you sort of are!" Sue stated.

"Look mom. I told you before, get married that's fine but I'm not wearing no dress," Leah said.

"Is this about Charlie? I thought you loved him."

"I do_ like_ Charlie, but that's not it. I just don't wear dresses okay!" Leah retorted, crumbling her Cheetos packet and throwing it into the trashcan.

"Just once in your life, could you be happy that I'm happy?" Sue asked her daughter sadly.

"Well you should've thought about that before you got engaged to a man whose daughter's my immortal enemy!" She shouted. I slightly gasped and shivered at the harsh words, even though I should've expected much. "How can I be happy if my stepsister's a freaking **bloodsucker**? Why don't you consider my feelings for once?" Leah fired back.

Sue was speechless, her face pained and hurt and her eyes welled up in tears threatening to fall.

She nodded her head slightly, accepting the words. "Okay. You don't want to wear a dress that's fine with me. However, I'm not going allow you to turn this happy day into a sad one. So you either pull your act together, sort your issues out, or you don't attend my wedding." Sue stated.

Leah gritted her teeth together whilst keeping her eyes locked on her mother's. I could see Leah visibly soften and it was as if I could feel her guilt radiating off of her as she watched her sad mother look at her with disappointed eyes.

"Fine," She nodded her head. "I get it. So I'm the bitch now like I always am!" She retorted, looking between all our awkward, worried faces.

She narrowed her eyes at me with such anger and disgust before she just shook her head and stormed out of the room, slamming the door in the process.

Sue spun around and gave us a weak smile and put on a brave face, but we all knew what she really wanted to do.

"So where were we?" Sue brought up.

After the intense moment, I asked myself the same exact question. But I'm pretty sure _I_ was along the lines of finding out that my mother will be seeing me as a vampire.

Am I even prepared for that…physically?

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

"Yo Seth! We better head out," I called out as I shrugged my jacket on and grabbed my car keys.

"Coming!" He called back and came running out of the room, shrugging his blazer on and fixing his tie.

We ran out of my house, stepping onto the snow and hopped into my Mercedes and made our way over to the hall where everyone in the res and others outside were congregated there.

Seth ran off to the prep room for the groom whilst I looked for an open seat. Rachel called out for me to come over where she was sat with her husband. I took a seat next to them.

"You're late," She stated.

"Hey, I'm not the one getting married." I told my sister.

"Not yet," She whispered. I glared at her and she just giggled.

The minister greeted us all and we all applauded. He told us that the wedding will begin shortly and began speaking in Quileute.

The ceremony finally began, and everyone was seated in their seats, ready to see the nuptials take place. Charlie entered the room and took his place in front, looking extremely nervous. He'd always intimidated me; it's weird to see him looking nervous himself.

My dad entered with his suit and tie, with Emily as the bridesmaid wheeled him in. I frowned. Shouldn't Leah be the one walking in with Billy?

"Where's Leah?"

"Uh yeah, Sue and Leah had a fight. I don't think she's going to make it." She told me.

I nodded. There's really no day Leah's not angry, but I thought she'd try to hide it, I mean it's her mother's wedding.

The ceremony finally began as the music started and all the guests stood up from their seats and turned their heads to the doors, waiting for the bride to make her grand entrance.

She entered and looked quite beautiful in her long creamy dress –since in Quileute tradition, traditional white would mean mourning of death rather than love. Everyone was in awe at her ageless beauty.

Sue was escorted by her son Seth who looked just about ready to bawl in tears. Dammit I should've taken a video.

"Who gives this woman to this man?" The minister questioned.

"I do," Seth choked up.

Paul, Sam, Quil, Embry and I refrained from cracking up as we watched the kid wipe some tears off his cheek. Sue just cooed and kissed her son's cheek. After Seth shook Charlie's hand, he squirmed away quickly and took a seat.

The minister told the guests to take the seats and began. Leah appeared out of nowhere, looking all dolled up in her bridesmaid dress. Wait! Leah's in a dress? I need to caption this!

Leah rubbed her mom's elbow and you could swear Sue's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

When it was time to say the vows, I could hear Charlie's heart pick up as he held Sue's hands firmly in his.

"Love is a scary thing, I mean look at me, a nervous wreck." He began. Everyone chuckled. "It's impossible to fall in love twice but it happened to me," He said, glancing at Renee for a split second. Wait she was here? "But this time I'm determined to make it work. I never thought about marriage or getting back into the dating game, but the world took me on a joy ride and it reached me to you Sue." He stated. All the girls cooed whilst Sue grinned widely. "Our children our out of the nest but we're still a family. You're my family Sue. You're the one for me, and it took me forever to figure that out and I'm sorry,"

"It's okay." Sue giggled through her tears.

"I love you Sue. And I'm so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm so glad I told you how I felt that day before Thanksgiving because I can't imagine a life without you in, as my partner, as my other half." He stated.

I couldn't help but form a smile as he said that and I glanced over to where the Cullen's were sitting to see Nessie grinning widely as she watched her granddad profess his love.

It was Sue's turn to say her vows and when she was done, the minister asked for the rings. Kamryn came running in, on his chubby legs with the rings in a case. Everyone in the room laughed, as Emily lifted him so he could hand of the rings to Sue and Charlie.

When they placed their rings on each other, the minister declared them man and wife and the whole shebang continued on…

… …

**Reception**

"Leah, you look awesome!" Paul stated.

Leah narrowed her eyes at him. "Shut up,"

"No seriously you legitimately do. I mean you look like smoking hot!" Paul chuckled, causing everyone in the pack to laugh.

"Give a warm welcome to the man and woman of the hour, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Swan!" Rachel –the respective wedding planner – stated on the mic.

Charlie and Sue entered the room hand in hand and everyone greeted them with warming applause. The reception was held in the hotel, that's courtesy to the Cullen's big bucks.

"Let's all watch as the newlyweds dance for the first time as husband and wife." She added.

We watched as the song began and the happy couple hit the dancefloor and began moving slowly to the song, _Too __Marvelous__ for words__ by Diana Krall._

When their dances ended, people began joining the dancefloor when more upbeat music began to play.

My eyes were skimming through the crowd of guests when I spotted Nessie standing by the presents and guestbook section. She was placing her presents and her message in the book.

God she looked so beautiful, no words could even describe it. She wore a deep purple dress that was knee length. The dress was strapless and had a see through lace covering the chest, wearing black stilettos and had her hair pulled up in a neat bun which showcased her sparkly earrings.

But the thing that struck out the most was her skin. Her soft, pallid skin was glimmering in the light. I smiled slightly.

"Oh here we go again," Embry sighed, pulling me out of my trance. "You look at her, she glances back at you –" He began. And sure enough, she glanced back at me whilst talking to someone. "You both totally have the hots for each other yet nobody goes for it."

"Grow some balls and talk to her. You act like you're scared sockless to talk to her. You're freaking Jacob Black!" Jared questioned. I was shocked to see everyone so supporting, I mean they aren't really Nessie's biggest fans.

Leah stormed off as soon as we started talking about Nessie.

"She's dating someone, I can't –"

"That didn't stop you when you went after Bella!" Seth shrugged. "And Nessie's your imprint."

"I say don't go for her," Paul sniffed.

Everyone narrowed their eyes at him and he just shrugged. "If he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to."

I rolled my eyes. I could only expect that from the most hater of the haters Paul.

"Don't listen to him. He's just being same ole' sour!" Seth patted my chest. "You can do this Jake. We've been seeing you guys ever since last year, she totally likes you back."

"You don't know that." I said to him.

"Fine, go find out for yourself," Quil stated, stretching his arm out as if he's paving a way for me. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"Fine," I said.

"Yeah buddy!" Jared applauded.

"I ship you two!" Seth mentioned. I rolled my eyes.

I nervously made my way over to Nessie. Wait why am I nervous? I never get nervous. Shit! My palms are all sweaty.

I shouldn't do this.

"No, you should Jake!" I nodded my head.

I looked to the crowd to make sure Edward wasn't listening to my thoughts. Luckily I found him talking to Renee and Phil with Bella by his side. She turned to me and gave me a frown. She must be shielding us. I really hope she is.

"You can do this," I assured myself, exhaling a deep breath until I reached Nessie whose back was towards me.

"Hey," I patted her shoulder. She spun around and flashed me my favorite grin.

"Hey," She giggled, pulling the strand of hair that was framing her face behind her ear.

"You look breathtaking, Ness," I said truthfully. I eyed her carefully and my words were an understatement. Her beauty was radiating off the dress. She really owned it.

She giggled nervously. "Thanks," She said to me, then her eyes diverted to the people laughing over at the tables. "Gosh, Charlie and Sue look so happy together,"

"Yeah they do," I said, not moving eyes away from her. Nessie smiled and moved her gaze from Charlie and Sue back to me. God those gorgeous milky chocolate brown eyes were going to be the death of me!

"Uh- the wedding was really beautiful wasn't it?" She asked me. "Rachel definitely outdone herself, I mean this and everything's…just perfect. I'm pretty sure she'll give Alice a run for her money.

"Yeah," I said, running out of words by the second. The upbeat music shifted to a second slow song and I smiled.

"Hey. Would you –I don't know – would you like to –" I stumbled on my words as I gestured to the dancefloor.

"Yes I would love to dance with you!" She replied eagerly.

My heart picked up and my lips curved into a slight smile, trying to hide my blush. Shit! I never blushed! I have it bad.

I stretched my hand out. She took it and I began backing up until I reached the dancefloor.

She placed her hands ever so delicately on my shoulders as I draped my arms around her waist as we began soothing to the beat.

_**The wind changed, first day that you came through**_

_**Cut the corn, washed it clean**_

_**Now everything that's ever gone before, is like a blur**_

_**And it's all because of you**_

_**And now I find, this city's like a stranger to me**_

_**I once was fooled by Cadillac's and honey **_

_**But no one feels like you**_

_**Not like you**_

_**Not like you**_

_**Not like you**_

"You look different." She whispered to me, with her head placed on my chest.

I chuckled.

"How's that?" I asked.

"I don't know. Seeing you with a suit and tie, that's not a look I've seen you in before." She replied.

"Well it's a jacket and tie." I laughed.

"It's a good look on you," She said to me, looking up at me. I smiled down at her.

_**Cause even though the flower fades something takes its place**_

_**A marching band on a sunny day, two pretty eyes or a pretty face…**_

I stared down at her for what felt like I've been staring forever. She looked absolutely amazing. I almost forgot she was my imprint because I really couldn't believe she'd ever be connected to me. She's like one of those girls who you'd swear was way out of your league and she definitely was.

"What?" She giggled, looking up at me after catching me gawk at her.

Damn…

"It's just really hard not to look at you." I said. Did I just say that? Uh…yes I did!

She giggled, not seeming shocked at what I said. Or maybe she just thought I was just being normal because I've been saying that ever since she was born. If only she knew.

"I like it when you look at me." She whispered to me, moving closer and wrapping her arms around my neck tightly and stared at the ground.

_**And in the forest I make my home**_

_**Lay down my heart on an ancient stone **_

_**And if my heart should somehow stop**_

_**I'll hang on to the hope**_

_**That you're not too late**_

_**That you're not too late…**_

_**And there are times I know when I will have to chase you…**_

I grinned. "I remember this one time; we were watching a movie on our favorite night."

"Friday Flick Night," She giggled.

"Yeah, yeah exactly," I laughed. "I remember I was holding you and you fell asleep in my arms." I told her. She snorted. "And I was watching you and I thought to myself, 'I could stay like this for days,'"

I could feel her smile spreading wider.

"But then my arms started falling asleep with your head on it, then you started drooling and snoring and it kinda got disgusting. I was screaming to myself 'get this nutjob off of me!'" I teased.

She giggled and punched my chest lightly.

"Okay. Okay. Please stop it!" She warned me playfully.

I snickered. "I'm sorry; I just love hearing your laugh." I told her. This was it. I was about to tell her how I felt.

_Tell her everything_… My sister's words came ringing into my head.

"I love seeing you smile…" I laid it on thick. She slowly began lifting her head to look at me. "I also love hearing your voice every time you talk, I love it when you twitch your left eyebrow or gnaw your bottom lip when you're nervous…" I stated. She looked up at me with shocked eyes and I could hear her heartbeat pick up.

My tongue turned dry. This was it. I was going to lay my feelings out there. Screw Edward! I want her to at least know how I feel.

"Nessie, I need to tell you something." I began.

As if on cue, the song ended and it soon drifted off to a pop song.

I rolled my eyes as I pulled my eyes away from Nessie over to the DJ. Screw you, asshole!

"What were you going to say?" Nessie asked.

Screw it!

"I-I was going to tell you –" I began, but was immediately cut off –obviously – by the smell of death and the sound of Edward's voice murdering my ears.

"Jacob, Nessie we'd like you to meet someone." Edward stated. Nessie and I turned to him to see Renee grinning widely.

Edward was sending me daggers, no…grenades with his golden eyes. You could swear they were black and he was looking for blood to shed.

Bloodlust…

I smiled.

Oh great.

"Jacob, follow me." He said to me.

I sighed and followed his tail until we reached the backdoors of the hotel. It was dark and misty. I frowned when I couldn't see him anywhere in sight.

The doors immediately unfurled and as if on cue, I found myself being flung out of it and falling ten feet onto the ground, hitting the puddle of water.

Edward jumped off the balcony and reached the ground in a split second, lifting me off the ground and throwing my against the tree, causing me to hit the ground.

"Didn't I tell you to let me in the loop if you were planning on doing something reckless like I don't know, courting my daughter?" He asked me.

I croaked. "I'm not trying to do that I just –" I choked.

"I saw you two tonight,"

"That wasn't my intent. I-I just wanted to tell her the truth." I told him. Ugh! Why's he so worked up?

"Don't you understand what that'd do to her? Although I'm not happy about it, she's dating people now and you can't confuse her with all of this wolfie juju!" He seethed.

"She's not as young as you think Edward. She's cleverer than most teenage girls," I told him.

"Don't you think I know that?" He questioned. "But she's my little girl! And I know what's best for her and a serious relationship isn't what she needs right now!"

"You do have to realize, Edward," I managed to stand up. "She and I are meant to be together!"

His eyes were blazed with anger and his fangs were sticking out, reaching to slit through some wanted skin.

"I don't care if you guys are betrothed and are destined in the stars or whatever! She's not ready!" He shouted, heading for a punch but I duck way too quickly, backing up.

"Then when will she be ready, Edward?" I asked him.

He sighed but his anger and wrath was still present, radiating off of him and deflecting onto me.

"Until she tells you herself, until she says the words 'I need you' then you have no business meddling with my daughter's mind, you understand?" He demanded.

"So you're saying, if she says she wants to be with me then you'd allow us to be together?" I asked him, my voice sounding hopeful.

"All I'm saying is…if that happens, then I don't see a way I can stop that." He stated. "But until then…you stay away from my daughter," He threatened and gave me a punch to the gut. I groaned as I fell onto the ground. Man did the vamp have power!

I can't exactly do that! I shouted in my head because I was too afraid of my own words.

He stood in his tracks and tilted his head to the side.

"Find a way," He grumbled.

Shit!

This stings and I'm not talking about my stomach.

This going to be a rough task to follow…

… …

**A/N: OMG! So close! God! Don't y'all just hate Edward? I mean like, let's give the guy some credit, he's worried that his daughter's growing way too fast but he shouldn't hurt Jacob for it.**

**Anyway, who enjoyed this chapter? I loved writing Bella's POV; it's like the good ole days. And my OTP (Belward)…cuteness!**

**Who loved Charlie and Sue's wedding? And what's Leah's deal?**

**And let's talk about the main even which was Nessie and Jake? Adorable!**

**Next chapter will focus on Bella meeting Renee again and Nessie and Jake's final moments in Forks (for a while).**

**Please review, follow and favorite! And look out for the next chapter of DH.**


	16. Chapter 16: Mommy Dearest

**BELLA'S POV**

My dad got married.

The one line I never thought I'd ever say, even in my head, but I'm so happy nonetheless.

As the reception started, the guests began rolling in and we all awaited the arrival of the bride and groom.

"Give a warm welcome to the man and woman of the hour, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Swan," Rachel said through the mic and a round of applause was made as my dad and Sue came into view.

"Let's all watch as the newlyweds dance for the first time as husband and wife." Rachel added.

I grinned as I watched my dad twirl Sue around and snuck in a little dip-and-kiss. That had stifling my guffaw but not without difficulty. The couple began dancing to a wonderful romantic song.

My smile fell when I caught the sight of my mother sitting across the room, laughing and taking pictures of the married couple. I spun around and hid myself in my husband's chest.

"I can't do this." I murmured to him.

"What?" He questioned, then turned over to my previous gaze and released a sigh. "Your mother?"

"I can't see her…not like this!" I told him. "I'm not ready,"

"Bella, love," He hummed. I looked up at him, knowing exactly what he's about to say and I knew it was all too true. "You've had seven years to be ready, when is the right time to do this?"

"Not now!" I argued.

I heard him chuckle lightly.

My eyes shot at him, eyes blazed and enthused with anger. There's no time for laughter at a time like this!

"You're great! You've made it through with Charlie and many other humans. Why is your mother any different?" Edward questioned, with an amused facial expression.

"Um…maybe it's because she's my mother? And I haven't seen her in I don't know, seven years!" I pointed out.

He sniggered, planting his lips on my temple and rubbing my arms soothingly.

"Well you better get your act together because here she comes in five, four, three, two…" He said, spinning me around.

"Bella !" The familiar soothing voice I heard only over the phone for the past seven years ringed into my ears.

"Hi…mom!" I throttled, showcasing the biggest smile I could muster.

She was shocked when she saw me. I could literally hear the gasp in her throat. I'd probably be shocked as well if I saw myself at this very moment.

"You look so different!" She stated.

"Really?" I asked and laughed nervously. "I don't know. Maybe it's courtesy to the fact we haven't seen each other in over seven years." God I wished it was more.

Thank goodness, I wore my contact lenses.

"It's probably that!" She shook it off. Although I'd probably think she wouldn't let it slide. "Gosh, I missed you!" She mentioned as she went in for the hug. My eyes widened at the suddenness.

I could hear her pulse, I could feel the energy radiating off of her. I could smell the blood, no, I could _**taste **_the blood coursing through her veins and it felt weird how tempting it was.

I pulled away way too quickly.

"Wow! You're so cold, Bella!" She gasped. "Why don't you have a coat on? Edward, why don't you be a gentleman and throw your jacket on her."

Edward grinned and shrugged his jacket off, placing it on my shoulders. I could feel his laugh coming my way.

"I'm going to kill you," I warned him in a range only he and I could hear.

"Oh, my lovely son-in-law!" She grinned, pinching Edward's hard cheeks. "I see you two are still happy!" Renee said to me.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Mom," I sighed.

"I know. _Our love will never die_, I get it." She chuckled. "Lighten up Bella, I'm just kidding!"

I smiled slightly. Phil came into view. "Hey, Phil,"

"How are you, Bella? Wait Bella? Is that you?" He questioned with a confused frown. "You look so different,"

"I know right, that's what I said honey," Renee stated in the same shock he had.

"Um…I don't mean to be blunt or anything but what are you doing here? I mean I know plane tickets aren't exactly cheap these days." I asked.

"Well when we found out about Charlie's wedding; we squeezed into our savings account in order to be here." Renee said. "We thought it'll give us a chance to support him but mostly to see you again."

I smiled.

"But we also have something we need to tell you," Renee began. I frowned.

I could hear Jacob's heart banging through his chest. I turned my head to see my best friend talking to himself. He turned to me and gave me a face of pure shock.

What the hell was he up to now?

"Dammit," I heard Edward's growl and his hand tightening around mine. I sighed. Whatever it was, I really didn't want to know now.

Another slow song came up and I heard my mom gasp.

"God I love this song!" She squealed.

"Honey, focus," Phil pulled her out of her excitement.

"Oh right," She cleared her throat and suck in a deep breath. "Phil and I well…we've been married for more than ten years and obviously he's younger than I am since I've experienced everything a married person can have and he hadn't."

"Mom, where are you going with this?" I questioned.

"Well…ever since I watched you grow up into a young woman and then get married seven years ago, I had this need. A need I felt before I had you." She stated. "What I'm trying to say is, two years after your wedding, Phil and I discovered something."

"What did you discover?" I asked with a chuckle. I really didn't like where this was going.

"How about I just show you," She said as she reached for her bag and pulled out her phone, scrolling through her gallery.

I looked up to Edward who just gave me a small smile. He knew exactly what was about to happen but just wanted me to find out myself. What a saint!

I rolled my eyes.

Mom grinned when she found what she was looking for and flashed her phone in front of me. I was met with a picture of a toddler, with long, frizzy light brown hair and blue eyes with lightly olive skin with small freckles on parts of her skin. Her…

"Mom, why are you showing me a picture of a girl?" I asked, although I should probably expect what was going on.

"Surprise!" She squeaked as she and Phil flashed wide grins.

My eyes bulged in absolute shock. What? Wait what? What?

"Mom, you seriously didn't have a kid did you?" I questioned.

Her grin widened. "Isn't it great?"

I scoffed. "You're not supposed to have a kid! You're old!"

She frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"No I didn't mean it like that I–I" I sighed. "I just meant that, I didn't even know you were trying."

"We weren't trying, that's the thing." She laughed. "And I wasn't that old five years ago."

"Well we're really happy for you guys. Congratulations," Edward said on behalf of both of us since I was still in absolute shock and denial. He gave Phil a shake of the hand.

"Thank you, man," Phil smiled, pulling my mom close to him.

I shook my head. This is not happening. I just found out I had a younger sibling at twenty-six? I thought about it for a second. My mom had a child five years ago and had not thought to tell me about it?

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"I don't know. I thought you'd hate me," She said sadly.

"Mom –" I tried to reply but bit my tongue because I knew I'd be hypocritical because I had a few things I hadn't told her too. At least with me it'd be hard to explain.

"Bella, I know this is crazy but when you meet her. I swear you're going to love her. Janice is the sweetest kid you'll ever meet." Phil told me.

"Janice?" I asked as I tasted the name.

"Yeah, that's her name. And get this, her middle name's 'Izzy' which is shortened for Isobel, cute huh?" Renee stated.

Although I was bewildered, I managed to give them a small smile.

"Well, I guess I should say congratulations." I said. They laughed and I gave them both a hug. I looked up at my silent husband. He looked really agitated as his gaze was facing at our daughter dancing with Jacob.

Oh no. Here we go.

"Phil, Renee…how would you like to meet someone?" He asked.

They both agreed and we all made our way over to my best friend and daughter.

"Jacob, Nessie, we'd like you to meet someone." My husband called, causing them to pull away from each other.

Renee grinned and was just about to introduce herself when Edward was way too quick for her.

"Jacob, follow me." He said to Jacob.

The two walked off and left the hotel. Something must've gone on in Jacob's head to get Edward so worked up. it doesn't need to be established that Jake had feelings for my daughter, I knew it'll happen someday I mean, it's not like I didn't catch Jacob eying Renesmee when she hit her teenage phase. Although, it wasn't even close to being intense as it is now.

You'd think I would be disturbed by this budding romance, maybe I was a little but, I knew it had to happen someday and Nessie's mature than she looks. Jake's been my best friend for a long time and all I've ever wanted for him was for him to be happy. I cannot deny how Nessie makes him feel.

Doesn't mean I'm totally accepting of the whole moronic wolfy claim though.

Edward on the other hand found it hard to accept everything all together. At the beginning, he may have understood it but when feelings began to develop, he was on edge with all of it.

"Um…okay," I sighed, shaking my head before standing next to my daughter. "Mom,"

Renesmee's eyes bulged.

"This is uh –Edward's niece, Vanessa." I lied.

I hated lying about Nessie. All I wanted to do was to profess to the world, how proud and happy I am to be a mother to this wonderful daughter but I could just see the crazy looks they'd give me when they notice my 'seven year old' daughter looks ten years older than she was and that I could easily be her sister.

"Oh, hi sweetheart!" Renee grinned.

Nessie smiled shyly and grabbed hold of my hand.

_**Mom, what's happening? **_She projected her thoughts to me.

"Just go with it," I whispered to her.

"So I'm guessing you're staying with the Cullen's now?" Renee asked. Nessie nodded her head. "How long have you been here?"

"Um…about six years." Nessie replied.

"Yeah, Edward's biological brother died in a car accident with his wife long ago but Vanessa survived so they had to put her into Foster homes in Canada until we found out about her and Carlisle adopted her right away." I tried to come up with the biggest mistruth I could think of.

It was never easy lying to my mom. She knew me like an open book so I was really hoping I was convincing enough this time.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your parents' sweetheart," Renee told her granddaughter.

Just thinking about it made me want to faint.

Nessie smiled and tightened her grip.

_**So this is Renee?**_ She asked me.

I nodded my head slightly.

_**She's so sweet. God I'm so nervous. Can you tell?**_She questioned. I nodded. _**Oh god! Hey, what's up with dad? Why does he look pissed? What do you think he and Jake are talking about?**_

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Honey, is there something wrong with your neck?" Renee asked me.

"Oh no, it's nothing, I'm fine mom." I told her.

Edward came back into view with a grin on his face. He fixed his tie and fastened his cufflinks and stood beside me.

"Where's Jacob?" I asked him.

"No need to worry about him, love?"

I rolled my eyes. Oh Edward…

… …

We were all gathered together at the reception. The humans all devouring their food whilst Edward and I just resorted to just drinking the wine, with Jacob and Nessie eating our meals.

Whilst everyone enjoyed their dinner, the speeches and toasts were being given out. Different people were willing to give their speeches to the couple. Most were super hilarious whereas others were confusing and others were heartwarming.

The night slowly began ending as people began leaving to the point where it was just the Quileute's and Renee and Phil.

Charlie and Sue were flying over to their honeymoon in Chile.

Renee and Phil decided to stay for another day so we could catch up tomorrow afternoon.

Edward, Nessie and I reached the familiar cottage.

"I'm mentally beat!" I said, pretending to yawn although it didn't quite work. Edward laughed and planted a kiss on my temple as he pulled his tie off.

"I'm going to bed," Nessie stated.

"Night, sweetheart," Edward called out to our daughter.

Nessie didn't reply and just continued to head over to her room. I frowned and glared at my husband.

"What did you do?" I asked accusingly.

Edward sighed and shook his head.

"Want some 'wine'?" He asked.

I laughed. 'Wine' was what we referred to as blood. Although, Carlisle discovered we could enjoy wine just as much as drinking alcohol by throwing in all the ingredients to make it.

"Yeah sure," I replied as I collapsed onto the couch and flipped the TV on.

… …

**A/N: There you have it folks! Bella's POV yet again! I love writing on her perspective, it gives me major Twilight withdrawals. **

**I'm grateful for all the reviews but I'd love to see new people. Please don't be afraid to review all your thoughts on the story and be sure to read the next chapter since I'll be updating right after this.**


	17. Chapter 17: Lake Party Gone Wrong

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I woke up the next morning to the sun shining through my bedroom window. I flopped off my bed and groggily made my way to the bathroom to freshen up. After doing so, I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

When I was about to get the milk carton in the refrigerator, I saw a note on the door.

_**We didn't want to wake you but we're having breakfast with Renee and Phil after hunting.**_

_**But Jacob's going to be over before you wake.**_

_**Love you**_

_**Mom and Dad**_

I sighed. "Well, he's late," I said and crushed the paper up and threw it in the trashcan.

I poured the milk in and soon enough I was chunking down my breakfast. God I loved this!

The wedding was amazing. I'm so glad my granddad got married to the love of his life. He'd always joke that his one true love was his cruiser but I always knew he was messing around. Sue was perfect for him and watching them get married made my heart swell.

The reception was great too. I mean minus the fact that Embry and Jared had that gay moment on the stage when they got drunk and puked on everyone in sight but it was great nonetheless.

It was also great to meet my grandmother for the first time. Renee…

I've always wanted to meet her, to meet the woman who belonged to half of my name, the woman who gave birth to my mother. But I knew the circumstances weren't all that great with my mom being a vampire and my fast aging so obviously we had to lie. However, it was still special either way.

I flipped the kitchen TV on and hopped it over to the News.

The doorbell went off and I got off the island chair, making my way over to the door and unfurling it to see Jacob dressed in some long khaki's and a plain old shirt with his hair all messed up. Even though it was probably the simplest get up, he still made it look sexy.

Stop it Nessie!

"Hey," He greeted.

I nodded my head as I walked back into the kitchen and took my seat on the chair.

"You knocked," I said. "That's a first."

"Yeah, I didn't know if you were busy," He told me.

"With what?" I asked, digging into my breakfast.

"Girl stuff?" He questioned.

I scoffed.

He took his place on the kitchen counter, right next to me. I felt my eyes linger from his legs up to his large arms that were protruding through his shirt. Please make it stop!

I cleared my throat and got up to throw my bowl in the sink.

"So how did you sleep?" He asked.

"Good," I said, flipping the faucet up and watching as the water fell into the bowl. "Last night was great, huh?" I asked.

"Definitely," He replied. I smiled. "Are you sure you're good?"

Dammit. "Yes! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You seem a little off." He said to me.

"Maybe a little tired but I'm not off." I told to him.

It wasn't the complete truth.

Maybe there was something wrong with me. I mean for one, my dad's annoying me day after day, I'm still freaking out about that night at the bowling alley a month ago, and I'm crushing on a guy who's been my best friend since birth and have no idea if he feels the same way I did!

"Oh okay," He said. "Well I know one thing that can make you active. Lake party this afternoon with the pack, you down?" He asked.

I laughed and looked out the window to see the mist sticking on it.

"Are you crazy? It's like below 20 degrees out there," I told her.

"Yeah but it's not snowing anymore so it's the perfect weather for it!" He said. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I still don't think it's a good idea." I replied.

"Come on, you practically don't need to be in the lake. You'll enjoy it, the girls are there for you to hang out with." He told me.

_I'd rather just hang out with you!_

I thought for a second. It might be fun. Probably give me a chance to get to know the pack before I go back to California. Why not?

"Uh, yeah sure," I said. "Why not?" I shrugged it off.

"Yes!" He practically squealed which caused an involuntary laugh to erupt in me. "So I'll pick you up at around 12ish?"

I frowned. "Where are you going?"

"Pack duties." He said.

Oh right. Pack duties…

Even when he technically stopped being alpha of the pack, he still had duties and although I understood it, I didn't exactly like it. I'd always wonder why he wouldn't just stop phasing so he wouldn't have pack duties.

I nodded my head and watched him leave the house. When I was sure he was gone, I ran inhumanly over to my room and ran through my closest that had all the clothes I left here in case we came to visit.

"What am I going to wear?" I asked myself incredulously. I pulled outfits from the rack and tossed them to the side and made a pile on my bed. "No." I said throwing an ugly shirt I didn't know I still had. "No." I sighed, tossing a sundress to the curb.

I frowned for a second and halted in my search. "What is wrong with me?" I asked myself rhetorically.

I don't need to look good for a guy!

_But this isn't just any guy, Nessie! _My conscious spoke to me.

_No! You're an independent woman who doesn't need a guy to rule her! And besides, it's not like he likes you back or anything. Oh and you have a boyfriend of your own!_

I sighed as I collapsed onto the bed filled with clothing. I came across a white and red sweater with the country's flag patterned on it and a pair of dark denim jeans.

That just might work.

I heard the sound of my phone vibrating on my nightstand. I got up and made my way over to it and grabbed the phone to see Felicity's Caller ID on it.

I smiled and answered.

"Hello, Felicity!" I said with enthusiasm.

"Ms. Renesmee Cullen!" She hummed with the same enthusiasm.

"I'm assuming you're enjoying your winter break in California?" I asked her.

"Hardly!" She replied. "My entire family from my dad's side came for Christmas and my cousins can't get out of my room! I'm having major post-partum _depressanators_! I've been sleeping in the backyard the whole weekend! That's not good for my skin or my hair!"

I laughed. "It's good! You can get some vitamin D in your pores."

"Yeah that's if the sun decides to come up." She replied. "Anyway, how are you doing at the notorious 'Forks, Washington'?"

"It's great!"

"I've been missing you! I was hoping we'd hang out and you know…go shopping…get a tan!" She stated. I laughed. "When are you coming back?"

"Soon, I promise," I said to her.

Felicity has been a good friend of mine for the past four-five months. It's to the point where I'd think she was even my best friend. It was great hanging out with her.

But she wasn't the only one I grew close to. Alex has been great. She's one of those friends that brought out the crazy side of me and I loved that about her. It's just sad that we couldn't all hang out together at the same time given Felicity and Alex's feud.

Hopefully in the future that'd change.

After hanging up, I prepared for the lake party and sooner or later, I heard a honk coming from outside. I made my way out the cottage to see Jacob's old bike parked and Jacob standing with his arms spread.

"What do you think?"

"Wow! It's still alive?" I laughed as I shut the door and threw my phone inside my side bag.

"Oh come on, it's only been five months." He argued. I laughed as I made my way over to him and ran my hand over the bike. "You ready?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded my head. He hopped onto the bike and held a helmet.

"Are you coming?" He asked, handing me the helmet.

"I don't need the helmet."

"Yeah and I don't need to get my head chopped off by your dad but we can't always get what we want Nessie." He said smartly. I rolled my eyes.

Right…

I took the helmet and hopped onto the bike right behind him. I pulled my hair to the side and placed the helmet over my head.

"Let me help you there." He whispered as he turned around to make sure the helmet was tightened. I smiled brightly as I stared into his gorgeous dark brown eyes. They were really beautiful. He laughed. "What?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said.

He stared into my eyes with an amused, perplexed look on his face. He cleared his throat and shook his head, turning over to the paddle and turned the ignition on.

"Wrap your arms around my waist, _baby_." I heard him say.

My eyes widened. What did he just say?

"What?" I asked.

"I said wrap your arms around me for safety." He said.

"Oh," I hummed. Why am I hearing things?

I slowly draped my arms around his torso, moving them down to his stomach and to his waist. My heart picked up as I felt the hardness of both his upper torso and his abs.

Oh god! And I'll have to feel that the whole ride? Please just kill me now.

He cleared his throat and shifted comfortably.

"Hold on tight," He stated as he hurled the kickstand up and a loud purr of the engine was made.

_Oh I'll try to!_

He made a smooth turn and we drove through the woods and onto the road in pretty much seconds.

After almost fifteen to twenty minutes, we made it to a house next to where the lake was. It was in between the reservation so it wasn't that far from where the pack lived.

As Jacob and I hopped off the bike, the front door of the house was immediately unfurled and Jared, Quil, Embry and Seth all came out in nothing but some shorts.

"Jacob's back!" Embry stated.

"What took you so long?"

I frowned as I took a peak on my watch to see it was around 12:34.

"Or should we say 'Who took you so long?' hmm?" Seth teased, raising his eyebrows at me. My cheeks burned which caused the entire gang to laugh.

"Very funny guys, I thought we got over immaturity." Jake stated.

"Oh is Jakey-Wakey feeling ole touched?" Quil provoked, passing out kissy faces at him. Jacob gave him a kick to the leg, causing Quil to fall and groan in pain. Man do I regret giving Jake that nickname.

"Serves you right!" Jared and the rest all laughed.

"Why are you guys shirtless? It's like 20 degrees." I asked in absolute shock. None of them had any form of clothing other than their shorts.

"We're werewolves!" Jared hummed.

"Actually we're shape shifters, remember?" Seth pointed out.

"Actually she's right!" Rachel questioned as she came out of the house.

"Oh momma-bear!" Everyone teased her. Rachel rolled her eyes and stood next to me.

"Hi," She greeted, as we both gave each other side hugs.

I smiled.

"Where's Paul?" Jacob asked. "I'm almost pretty surprised we haven't heard a smart remark from that hothead."

"Oh you mean how you're a dick?" Paul's deep voice roamed in the cold air as he came into view in a tank top and shorts with some sandals.

"Ooh!" Jared brawled.

"Somebody's going to get roasted!" Embry guffawed.

Paul turned to meet my eyes and his grin immediately, his eyes now enthused with fits of anger, hatred and disgust. I could see it. I could sense it.

"You invited her?" He asked Jacob sternly, not moving his eyes away from me.

"Paul, why wouldn't I invite her? Isn't this an open party? We came here to have fun right?" Jake questioned, looking pretty much annoyed.

Paul glared at me but flashed a fake grin.

"Of course," He said.

I frowned.

It doesn't have to be affirmed that some of the pack members didn't like my family, especially Paul. But there's something else that doesn't need affirmation.

I didn't like him too…

… …

Rachel and I entered the lake house whilst the pack prepared for their swim in the lake.

"The guys are crazy to swim in the middle of winter." I laughed.

"Believe me. I've known how crazy they were the minute I knew how crazy they actually were." She said with a chuckle.

I frowned. "Makes sense," I said as we reached the kitchen. "This house is nice." I said.

"Thank you! Paul and I have been house hunting for the past five years," Rachel said.

"Five years?" I questioned.

"Yeah, the apartments in the city are unsurprisingly expensive." She told me. "Anyway, when we thought there was no point, we searched for houses in the reservation and we found this gem."

I smiled. "It's cute,"

"Thanks," She said, unfurling the pantry door. "How's California been?"

"It's great I guess. Um, I've just started the whole high school thing." I told him.

"How do you like it?" She asked.

"I love it. I mean it's definitely a different environment but it's awesome nonetheless." I told her. She smiled. "How far along are you?"

She stared down at her very small baby bump and ran her hand over it.

"Around three months," She said. "I'm really excited and nervous."

"Well I'm really happy for you." I told her.

"Oh thank you so much, you're so sweet." She laughed as she continued making lunch.

I smiled as I shifted my gaze out the window, watching as Jared pushed Jacob off the ledge. I released a slight gasp. I winced as I watched him hit the water, emerging almost immediately.

"Jake will be fine," Rachel said as she flipped the salad. I darted my head at her.

"What?" I asked. Had she noticed me staring?

"He'll be fine. You don't have to worry about him," She gave me a big grin. I blushed and hid my eyes from her.

"Where's Emily?" I asked.

"Oh, she and Sam had to take Kamryn to the pediatrician. He seems to have a bad cold." She told me.

"I hope he gets better." I told her. "I guess this is something you have to look forward to."

"Don't remind me."

Kim entered the room as she came from the guest room, looking groggily and sluggish. She must've just woken up.

"I guess all that studying took its toll huh?" Rachel teased.

Oh right. Kim was in her final year of college.

The shy girl rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Ness," She greeted me with a quick hug and took a seat on the stool. We all heard a loud scream coming from outside and we all darted our heads to see Jared pushing Embry on top of a large rock and falling straight in the water, causing a massive splash.

Rachel shook her head. "Our boys,"

"We should probably tell them not to play so roughly." Kim stated.

"Oh they'll be fine…" Rachel said. "I'm more worried about my husband. I mean he might just kill them all…" She trailed off. Her eyes immediately bulged. "He might just kill them all!" She retorted and dropped her spatula and walked out the door quickly, running over to the guys with us following.

"Guys!" Rachel shouted. They all turned around to her. "Please be careful!"

"Yes!" Paul replied, shoving Quil into the water.

"I'm serious!" Rachel said, her face looking quite worried for her husband. It was almost magical. She was so happy a second ago and now she's on the verge of despair, worrying about the possibility of losing the one person that kept her alive.

Wait how did I know that?

"Yeah, I get it." Paul said –his face softening up as he stared back at his wife.

Rachel nodded, releasing a sigh and turned to us.

"I think we should probably sit here…keep watch over them." Rachel suggested.

"I think that's a good idea." Kim stated.

I smiled and shifted my gaze over to Jake who was currently talking to Seth on the other side of the lake. If anything happened to him, I don't know what I'd do. I don't know why but ever since I got old enough to understand his wolf duties, I got nervous every time he'd had to deal with them or even if a rouge vampire came to town. I know he's not my boyfriend or anything but he was still my best friend, he meant so much to me. I couldn't bear the thought of never seeing him again.

"Nessie, will you help me grab some chairs?" Rachel asked me, pulling me out of my trance. I nodded my head.

"Yeah,"

… …

"God I wish it was the summer!" Rachel said, whilst lying back in the chair with a blanket draped around her and taking a bite out of one of the few sandwiches let. "This would've been the perfect setting."

"I wish we were like the wolves," Kim said.

"Oh I wouldn't wanna be a wolf! Looks like so much work." Rachel stated. "But I wouldn't mind having the stamina though. You should see how Paul is in bed…oh dear god! He's like a vicious animal and he does this thing with his teeth –"

"Ew! TMI!" I stated. The girls laughed. "No I think being a wolf seems great. I mean all that warmth."

"Oh don't you say anything! You're half vampire; you should hate everything that has to do with wolves." Rachel said.

"I don't actually. I love everything about them. Like their scent for instance, I don't know why my family says the wolves smell bad. I think they smell fine to me, Jake, especially. He smells great."

"Hmm…Jacob smells great huh?" Rachel said, wriggling her eyebrows at Kim who just giggled.

"What?" I asked inquisitively.

"Oh nothing, nothing," Rachel and Kim said in unison, both of them shaking their head obliviously.

I frowned. Did I say something wrong?

As if on cue, Jacob got out of the lake and began jogging over to us with his jet black hair soaked and his russet, perfectly sculptured body drenched in water. You'd think he was some sort of god!

"You got anything to drink there?" He asked huskily, panting as water dripped from his lips. Oh wow…

I gnawed my bottom lip.

"Look for yourself; I'm not stretching my hand out in the cold." Rachel said. I smiled as Jacob bent down to grab a can of Dr. Thunder and took a sip.

"Man, I got to take a whiz." Jake stated as he made his way to the house.

"Yeah you do that," Rachel said, shaking her head. "My brother can be so inconsequential."

"See! It's not just me!" Kim hummed. I laughed.

"Nessie!" I heard one of the guys call me from the lake. I looked up to see Paul gesturing for me to come over.

That's weird.

"Um…I'll be right back." I told the girls as I got up from my chair and made my way over to Paul.

"What?" I asked him bluntly.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am for being rude to you earlier. It was just me being an ass, as usual." He said with an eye roll, however, I didn't find it quite sincere.

"Fine,"

He grinned and extended his hand out to me. "Friends?" He suggested.

I sighed and reluctantly took his hand, giving him a handshake. It was pretty pathetic but whatever.

I was just about to let go when I felt him pull me in, causing me to tipple over the large rock and falling into the water, making a splash. I felt his hand hold me by the head and sunk me deep in the water.

I whimpered out, whimpered out so loud that I was sure I broke a vocal cord but I knew nobody could hear me. I began losing my vision. I was heading into an unconscious state.

Through my blurry vision, I could see a figure heading my way in the water, gliding itself over to me. It had long bright hair, with ashy skin but I couldn't see the face.

When it got closer, I could see the energy it possessed. Its eyes shot right open and a bright white light killed my vision.

I felt myself ascending up the water and released a huge gasp of air. I could vaguely hear a sinister laugh and screams coming from the northern direction.

I was too afraid to open my eyes. I wouldn't know what to expect. But given my curious eyes, I had to find out. I reluctantly unfurled my eyes to see the blurry sight of Jacob running towards me and jumping into the water.

He reached me and held onto me.

"Nessie!" He shouted frantically, cupping my face and running his shaking hands in my hair.

"I'm okay!" I managed to say but I wasn't too sure about my voice. "I'm fine," I coughed up the water I inhaled.

He didn't seem convinced. Not even one bit.

"Let's get you out of here," He said to me as he scooped me up in his arms and ran over to the grass where Rachel was standing, with a blanket laid and a towel ready.

Jacob laid me gently on the ground and draped the towel around my shivering body.

"What happened?" He asked me.

Rachel was crying now, sobbing if lack a better word as she wrapped another towel around my shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Jake!" Rachel said, as she turned over to Paul who looked quite nervous as he stood with Jared and Quil.

"It was Paul!" Seth stated as he came into view.

Rachel was sobbing loudly as his name was uttered.

"Jake, I truly am sorry!" Rachel blubbered.

I could feel Jacob tensing as his jaw clenched and his teeth gritted. He stared down at me before I heard a low growl coming from his throat. He got up from the ground and began marching over to Paul.

"Wait, Jake!" I whispered but I was just too stunned and freezing to say it out loud.

Jake phased into his wolf form, right on the spot and began charging for Paul who phased the minute he lunged for him.

That's all I remember before I found myself drifting off into a subconscious state.

… …

I fluttered my eyes open when I heard shouting coming from the kitchen.

"I can't believe you right now! You could've killed her!" Rachel retorted. "Paul don't you hang up on me!"

I frowned as I noticed I was in a room, dressed in warm clothing and blanket draped around me. As I began sitting up, I felt a huge spasm of pain hit my head. I groaned as I rubbed my forehead and collapsed onto the ground.

"Where is she?" I heard a frantic voice call into the house.

"In the guest room," Rachel said. I heard a loud stomp of the feet. "Jake I'm really sorry!"

"Rachel, not now!" Jake said to her.

The door was immediately agape and Jake bolted into the room, his eyes in such relief as he saw me sitting up.

"Nessie," He sighed, walking up to me and taking a seat next to me. "Are you okay?"

"Jake, I'm fine," I told him. He shook his head. "Yes, I'm fine."

"You could've died! Don't you get that?" He questioned.

"I didn't so…" I stated as I ran my hand through my wet hair. I didn't know what Jake did to Paul and I hope it wasn't drastic. My eyes widened. "You didn't kill Paul, did you?"

He didn't answer. My eyes widened.

No!

"Jake! You didn't kill him," I said as more of a statement but I wasn't too sure. He still didn't reply. "Jacob!"

"No I didn't kill him." He said with an eye roll. "I wish I did though."

"You don't mean that." I said to him.

"He almost killed you? I think that's a pretty good reason to kill him!" Jake declared.

"He was just trying to make a joke!" I told him. "It's okay Jake."

"Why do you keep doing that Nessie?" He asked me. "Why are you always able to see the good in people?"

I shrugged. "Maybe it's because there's always something good in people." I said to him.

Jake curved his lips slightly in a small smile. He lifted his hand up and ran his fingers through my strings of hair and moved to caress my cheek. I shivered at his touch and he immediately pulled away.

"You cold?" He asked me. I nodded my head. "Want me to get you another blanket?"

I shook my head. I slowly moved closer to Jacob and tucked myself under his arm and draped my arms around his warm bare body. I breathed in deeply.

I could feel him tense up.

"God!" I gasped as the heat over took my freezing state. "It must be great never getting cold."

He chuckled as he pulled me in closer. "It's okay,"

"No. It's amazing. You're like a walking furnace!" I told him as I placed my head and hands on his chest, listening to his beautiful heart thud as I breathed in the air.

He scoffed. "Nessie," He began. I looked up at him. "I never want to lose you."

I frowned. Why would he think that way?

"You won't," I said.

"No. I mean, today was all my fault. If I had just listened to you earlier, you wouldn't be this way." He said, his eyes filled with guilt.

"No. It wasn't your fault." I reassured. He smiled weakly.

"If anything ever happened to you, I'd literally go out of my freaking mind." He told me with his hand on my cheek.

What did he mean by that? Jake had been saying all these weird stuff that get my hopes up that he actually liked me back. I mean, Jake had always been sweet to me but everything he says just make me feel a certain kind of contentment that he feels the same way I do, almost exactly the same way.

So I had to ask.

"Why?"

He stared down into my eyes. I could see his eyes glistening with what I hoped were fulfillment and I don't know, love? I needed to know if he felt the same way I did.

"You're my girl," He said to me.

My heart jumped. Did he just say that? Please tell me I'm not dreaming.

"You've always been my girl." He whispered to me. "My Nessie,"

My Nessie…

I hadn't heard that in a long time but I felt deeply affected by it.

"And I will stop at nothing to protect you," He assured me, his eyes filled with intensity.

My lips curved into a small smile.

I felt my insides burn as I watched Jacob look at me in a way I'd never seen before.

His face slowly began leaning in, centimeters away from my lips. I could feel his breath on my face and his heat moving in so close to my chest. My head was spinning but my body was rigid and firm.

I closed my eyes as I felt his warm lips brush against mine ever so softly.

But that's all that it was. A brush…

My eyes jolted open as I stared at Jacob with confusion, his head facing the ground with his face of guilt and pain.

So I guess I was wrong.

As if on cue, the sound of his phone vibrated in his back pocket. He pulled it out and read the text. He groaned and shoved the phone back.

"I should probably get you home." He whispered to me.

I nodded my head. Still feeling shocked at what just happened. _Or could've happened_.

"Yeah, sure," I sighed as I allowed him to lift me up from the ground. I ran my hand through my now dried up hair and I grabbed my soaked clothes that were placed on the chair.

"We should probably not tell my parents about this. Actually, we should probably not tell my, um, dad." I told Jacob.

He nodded. "I was thinking the exact same thing,"

I blushed and smiled sheepishly.

I needed to stop. I needed to stop whatever feelings I had for Jacob before they got out of hand. He obviously doesn't feel the same way I do. I haven't had much experience in dating but I know when someone's not that into you.

And I want to be able to not feel horrible every time I look at Justin. He's my boyfriend and I should start treating him like he was.

But where do I even start?

… …

**A/N: GAHH! OMG! NESSIE AND JAKE ALMOST KISSED! AHHH!**

**Jake and Nessie may not be together but I assure you, throughout the story you all will be pleased.**

**What did you guys think of this chapter? (By the way, if you haven't read the previous chapter I suggest you get to it since I'm updating way quicker now that spring break is over).**

**Who thinks Paul's a crazy ass dick? I do! Ugh! He tried to hurt Nessie. I really wished Jacob could have chopped his head off. **

**Anyway, please review guys! I really want to see what you all liked (or disliked) about this chapter. This story is taking a different approach in the upcoming chapters.**

**Whose POV would you guys like to see in the future? Review!**


	18. Chapter 18: Dethrone

**JACOB'S POV **

I gritted my canine teeth as I remembered the vivid memory of seeing my imprint, my reason for existence in the state she was in. I wasn't angry. I wasn't mad. I was _vengeful…_

I had no direction, all I was following and focused on was the scent and the sight of the one thing I want to sink my teeth in.

I could hear voices calling for me.

_Jake! Wait up!_ Seth thought.

I snarled menacingly as I sped up when I noticed I gave _**him **_too much of a head start.

_I've always wanted Paul to get his ass kicked, but I didn't bet on him being dead! Well…not yet, but –_ Embry stated into my head. I growled as I hopped over a giant rock.

Paul. That thing… His name just upped my blood pressure on a high you could never understand.

_Way to go, Em, now look what you've done!_ Quil's annoying tune lingered around in my head_. Jacob, don't do something you're going to regret. Don't flirt with bloodlust_, Seth added.

_Bloodlust? _I rumbled in my head.

_Yeah, a sudden urge to kill,_ Seth told me.

I frothed. _I have a sudden urge to kill Seth! _I warned as I took a chunk out of his leg before continuing my gallop.

_Ow!_ Seth cried.

_Oh, don't be such a baby! He didn't even hit an artery_, Smartass Embry thought.

_Yeah but it still hurts!_ Seth moaned.

_Get out of here before I break all of your necks!_ I seethed. I am on the verge of insanity and my pack was not helping. I upped my speed through woods until I reached the clearing where I caught my prey only a couple of feet away from me.

I grinned shrewdly as I ran past all the trees in sight. I didn't have much time or even had a care of where I currently was, but my guess is probably towards the Tacoma borderline.

I could sense I was still being followed but not by my idiot pack members. I gnawed and crunched my teeth together as I got closer to his tail. I lunged. I lunged off a ledge and made my way over his body when he least expected it, causing us to both tumble over the mountain of the forest. I took that as a quick chance to attack.

I sank my teeth into the wolf's neck, baring all my claws and grazing through his furry patched skin, causing him to groan and howl loudly until we reached the end. He tried to wriggle his way out of my grasp but I was not going to let that happen. I was determined to rip him apart.

I hovered on his back and maneuvered both of us until I was pinning him down. I snapped his front legs, making him release a series of whimpers. I then began taking morsels of his body with my claws and teeth ferociously. He kept pleading for mercy but I wasn't feeling up for generosity. Not when this piece of crap tried to destroy my reason for existence. I was so content in destroying him at this point.

The tapper of large paws reached our presence. I didn't pay much attention as I continued breaking every part of Paul. He tried to fight back but I was too quick and way to bigger than him.

A loud, piercing, demanding growl pulled me out of my annihilation. I darted my head to see the familiar black wolf that I once used to bow down to. I released a warning snarl.

What the hell?

He stood firm, his teeth bared. He was trying to warn me to back off.

I frowned, getting off of Paul and making my way over to Sam. I gave him a foreboding look. What the hell was his problem? Who invited him into this? This was between Paul and me!

I snarled crustily. He needed to back off and let me finish my business.

He released a rough bark at me and gestured over to the wounded, conked-out brown wolf laid right behind me. Oh he's telling me to lay off the kill streak? I'm just getting started Sam!

_Jacob, please just stop for a minute_, Sam pleaded into my head.

_You can't tell me what to do! That ship has sailed Sam!_ I snarled ghastly.

_I think he wants us all to phase back to human so we can talk_, Seth thought.

I narrowed my eyes at him before turning back to Sam, giving him a grumbled growl before nodding my head reluctantly. I turned to my emerging pack before shutting my eyes and phasing back to my human self.

I watched as the rest followed suit.

I heard a loud creak coming from the body behind me. I growled under my breath. Don't make me go off on you one more time. I'm definitely not finished with him.

"Jacob," Sam's voice pulled me out of my vengeful thought process. I glared at him.

"What the hell Sam? Can't you see I was preoccupied in annihilating this asshole?" I said, darting my finger towards Paul.

"Jake I'm –"

"Shut up!" I seethed as I narrowed my eyes back at Paul, causing him to flinch. I turned back to Sam.

"I understand you're angry" He began.

"You don't understand jack! You weren't even there when it happened." I snarled. Paul released a croak and coughed up viciously. That was it. I spun around and began throwing punches and kicks at him, but found myself being held back, watching him being lifted from the ground and taken away from being killed right on the spot.

"Let me go!" I yelled at the people holding me back. I tightened my gaze to see it was Seth and Hasan –the young member of my pack that turned a year and a half ago – gripping my arms.

"You need to calm down, Jake," Sam told me.

"Don't tell me to 'calm down'!" I stated, flashing a nasty look. "He could've killed her!" I shouted.

"Jake I didn't mean to –" Paul stated.

"Didn't I tell you to shut your damn mouth?!" I squawked savagely. I heard him fall silent.

"I understand you're angry but let's just talk about this, okay." Sam began. I shook my head. "What happened?"

"He almost tried to kill her." Seth stated, seeing as I lost my ability to speak as I began to shake uncontrollably.

"I didn't mean to harm her! It was a joke!" The dickwipe had the freaking audacity to utter his mouth. "We were all in the lake and I called her over. It was just meaningless fun!"

What load!

"What a bunch of crap! You meant to drown her." Embry pointed out as he glared at him.

Sam frowned as he turned to Paul.

"I had no idea you were capable of such a thing." Sam stated disappointedly but was masked with anger. "The rule is an imprint of a member of the pack, whether it's mine or Jacob's. An imprint of a wolf cannot be harmed. That's our number one rule. You broke it."

"I didn't break it!" Paul retorted.

"You broke the rule." Sam stated.

I glared back at Paul. He stared back at his alpha with eyes of guilt and hurt.

"I'm sorry Paul, that's the law and if you can't abide by it you'll have to suffer the consequences." Sam stated. Paul pleaded with him with his eyes.

"We don't endanger anyone's lives in this town! Whether that's humans, our families, imprints or the Cullen's! We've come a long way with our hatred for the family but we've made a truce for the past seven years and we stuck by it." He said and then darted his head at everyone.

"And that goes for all of you! The Cullen's aren't a danger to the town or the tribe. Whatever reservations, or feelings you have towards them, throw them away or rather don't even mediate on them. They're just as much of people to protect just as the humans are. The act displayed today was based on pure abhorrence, aversion and immodesty! And as alphas of the Uley and Black pack, we will not tolerate such behavior!" Sam said, now turning back to Paul whose face was burning with remorse.

Shit looked good on him!

"Paul, I'm sorry but this will not fall. I have to take action on this and you'll have to face it." He told him.

Paul's guilty facial expression shifted to an livid as he shoved the arms holding him back.

"So what does that mean?" He questioned. "You want me to step down from the pack, hmm? Are you all exiling me from the wolf pack that I was born into?!" He shouted out.

"Until you manage to get your act together and take out whatever aggression you have inside of you, you are no longer welcome in my pack." The Uley pack alpha stated to his third in command.

I even widened my eyes at him. That never happened! No one has ever done that.

Paul snorted.

"Yeah, right!"

"You don't harm the life of a fellow wolf's imprint! You of all should know better!" Sam retorted, his eyes enthused with a kind of anger and discontentment I've never seen on him before.

"Sam –" Paul sighed.

"I can't let that kind of negative behavior be around the pack. So you'll have to suffer a penalty." He concluded.

"Which is?" Jared questioned.

Sam turned to him then back at Paul. "You're not allowed to be with the pack, or even communicate with any members of the pack in your wolf form."

Paul glared at him with eyes bulged. "How long would that have to be? Because that will mean I'll stop phasing!" He stated.

"Well I guess it'll have to come to that." Sam said. Everyone gasped. "Paul, you've been planning on not phasing in a couple of years. This is what you wanted."

"But as you said, in a couple of years!" Paul argued.

"All oppose…?" Sam asked every member of the pack.

No one uttered a word.

"Well I guess it's unanimous," He told, nodding at Paul who had a look of betrayal as he stared at everyone around him.

Paul groaned. "Fine," He finally agreed as he released a sigh of frustration. "Is that all?"

Sam turned to me, giving me a slight shrug then turned back to his wolf pack.

"My punishment has nothing on what Jake has planned out in his mind." Sam said to him.

You got that freaking right!

"Whatever you decide Jake, we won't get in your way but we'd like it if it didn't resort to obliteration." Sam said to me, almost pleadingly.

Oh, so you're saying you don't want me to kill the dickhead? I don't think that's something I would put on my list as an alternative!

Paul suddenly looked nervous and I could feel and hear him tense up as he slowly stepped down, moving closer to me. I heaved in a breath, holding myself back from attacking.

"Members," Sam called out before phasing on the spot releasing a howl, causing all of his wolf members to follow suit. The Uley pack immediately disappeared and it was just my pack with Paul standing.

"Can you all leave us alone," I demanded my pack but not moving my eyes away from Paul who had his face on the ground.

"Jake," Seth tried to plea but I gave him a commanding glare.

"Now!" I told him.

He sighed as he turned to the pack, gesturing for them to follow him and morphing to their wolf form almost immediately, disappearing in seconds.

It was silent. The only sounds were the trees breezing with the air, and the sound of our beating hearts.

Paul lifted his head up at me with eyes of hurt. "Jake, I'm sorry –"

I growled. "Shut the hell up!" I barked, causing him to fall soundless abruptly.

I inhaled a deep breath. "I want to kill you so fucking badly, I want to tear you apart limb from limb, I want to leave you breathless just the way you almost did with my imprint, my only reason for existing!" I yelled.

He winced in pain at my words and I could hear a whimper forming in his throat.

Dear god! I was so ready to slice him into pieces! My hands were trembling at just the sight of him in his current state.

"Do it." Paul said, falling to the ground. "Kill me!" He said.

I clenched my fists and jaw tightly, breathing heavily. This was it. This was going to be my first wolf kill.

I took a slight step back.

"But I won't –" I strained my voice. Paul's eyes widened. "Not only are you my sister's mate, but you're the father of my unborn niece or nephew. I can't live seeing my family in such pain. So…" I paused, shutting my eyes and unclenching my fists. "I will not kill you."

Paul stared up at me in astonishment and befuddlement.

"Are you serious?" He questioned.

I didn't move a muscle.

"That's your family. That's the difference between you and me Paul. I won't endanger a thing that makes my family happy. That's what you do for family." I told him. His face was guilty. "I hate to admit it but you're my brother. You're my family too."

I took a step towards him and placed my hand on his shoulder, refraining from giving in to my anger.

"But if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't even have time to think for a second without slaughtering you to pieces." I warned him. "If you ever lay a hand on Nessie ever again, I swear to god I will break every limb fiber of your body and no one's going to stop me."

"I understand," Paul nodded his head, tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "I am truly sorry Jake, it won't happen again."

I sighed as I nodded my head lightly, retracting my hand from him and whirling around, heading through the woods and phased immediately.

_I guess I missed an entertaining showdown_; Leah came into my head, releasing a light chuckle.

_You might just have to witness another one in the future,_ I told her as I made my way to my sister's house and changing back to human. I found a couple of shorts laid down on the porch and I snatched one, shoving it on and marching through the house.

Now I needed to make sure my reason of existence was okay.

"Where is she?" I questioned frantically.

Rachel dropped what she was doing.

"In the guest room," Rachel told me. I stomped my way over to the guest room. "Jake, I'm sorry," She tried to apologize.

I rolled my eyes. "Rachel, not now!" I shouted as I reached the room. I unfurled the door to see Nessie on the ground, eyes on me immediately.

Thank god! She's okay.

"Nessie," I sighed, making my way over to her and falling beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Jake, I'm fine." She told me, but her puffy face told me otherwise. I shook my head. She can't be, something was wrong. "Yes, I'm fine."

I glared at her. Was she crazy?

"You could've died! Don't you get that?" I demanded.

"I didn't so…" She informed me as she began running her hands through her damp long hair. She gave me a widespread look as a thought popped into her mind. "You didn't kill Paul, did you?" She questioned.

I didn't know how to answer that. I mean I was still enraged at what he did. And believe me; it would've come to that if Sam didn't stop me.

"Jake! You didn't kill him," She told me as if she was making a statement. I didn't reply. "Jacob!" She demanded.

"No, I didn't kill him." I finally stated. I rolled my eyes. Why couldn't I feel good about it? "I wish I did though,"

"You don't mean that," She told me.

"He almost killed you! I think that's a pretty good reason to kill him!" I declared.

Why was she defending him?

"He was just trying to make a joke." She defended. "It's okay, Jake."

"Why do you keep doing that Nessie?" I asked. "Why are you always able to see the good in people?"

"Maybe it's because there's always something good in people." She shrugged.

God I love her. She had no bad thing in her soul.

I managed to release a small smile. That's what she was able to do to me. Even in the midst of anger at no end, she was able to make me smile. I raised my hand up and ran my fingers through the strings of her hair and began caressing her soft, pink cheeks I love. She shivered in coldness.

"You cold?" I asked her. she nodded her head. "Want me to get you another blanket?" I suggested.

She shook her head and just moved closer to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and placing her head in between my arm. I took a deep breath. This is not good! But it feels so good!

"God!" She gasped. "It must be great never getting cold?" She chuckled.

I sniggered, pulling her closer. What am I doing? "It's okay,"

"No. It's amazing. You're like a walking furnace," She told me as she placed her head on my chest.

I scoffed. Gee thanks!

"Nessie," I began as I tried to remember seeing in the state she was in. It then shifted off to the time the Volturi came for her. I couldn't imagine losing her then, now and the future. I needed to let her know.

"I never want to lose you." I told her.

She released a frown and sighed.

"You won't," She told me.

"No I mean, today was all my fault. If I had just listened to you earlier, you wouldn't be this way." I told her.

"No. It wasn't your fault," She assured me.

"If anything ever happened to you, I'd literally go out of my freaking mind." I informed her.

She gave me a weird look.

Oh god! Way to go Jake! Subtlety is your strongest point. Now she thinks I'm a freaking freak!

"Why?" She asked.

What do I say? I can't exactly say 'Because you're imprint and I was made to protect you, watch every move you make, love you more than I love anything in this freaking world! Oh and I want to be your boyfriend'.

Shit! I dug a huge hole.

"You've always been my girl," I whispered to her. "My Nessie," I added.

That was subtle enough.

It wasn't a lie at all, she's my Nessie and nothing would chance that.

"And I will stop at nothing to protect you," I said to her.

Her face beamed up. I hadn't said that to her in a while because I thought she grew old from it but I just felt it was appropriate at that moment. I had never felt this way about anybody, even with Bella. I don't even think the imprint contributes to how I'm feeling. She makes me feel a way I have never felt before, content and happy.

I found myself leaning closer to her lips as I thought about her. As our lips touched in a light brush, a thought and image popped into my head.

I shouldn't be doing this. Not right now.

Edward's pissed off face nipped into my brain, causing me to immediately pull away. The vampire told me to stay away from his daughter and now look what's happened now. It's not easy! And I can't believe he thinks it is. Every time I'm around this girl, all I wish I could do was just kiss her, tell her how I feel but that has proven to be difficult in the situation I was in.

God! This is not going to be fun.

As if on cue, I felt the vibration of my phone in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from the devil, Edward Cullen.

_**Get her home, now Jacob!**_

_**-Mind-reader Vamp**_

A please would've been nice!

I released a groan and shoved the phone back into my pocket.

"I should probably get you home," I said to her.

She nodded her head.

"Yeah, sure," She told me.

I'm so glad she didn't feel weird about what almost happened. Did she even realize what almost happen? Did she actually feel the same way I did? Or did she hate me and was about to slap my face but Edward's text beat her to it?

This is bunk!

We both got up from the bedroom floor. She grabbed her wet clothes from the chair.

"We should probably not tell my parents about this. Actually, we should probably not tell my, um, dad." She told me.

Yes! I'm one step ahead of you on that one!

"I was thinking the exact same thing." I told her.

She smiled slightly and nodded her head.

"Yeah, let's go," I said to her as we made our way out the door.

Rachel shot up from the living room couch with the same expression of guilt and hurt on her face.

"You guys leaving?" She asked.

I nodded my head. "Yeah,"

"Thank you for the lovely day, Rachel." Nessie told her.

"No, thank you for coming." Rachel told her nervously.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. My sister and her hormonal moments. She felt guilty for something she didn't do.

"It's okay, Rach." I told her, pulling my shirt and jacket on.

Her face lit up and released a sigh.

"Okay," She smiled, turning to Nessie. "I'm going to hug you now," She giggled as she and my imprint. "Don't be a stranger,"

"Of course," Nessie nodded her head.

"Bye, Rachel," I said as Nessie and I headed for the door. Paul emerged from the woods and all our eyes met for second. We hadn't said a word to each other as he walked passed us and Nessie and I reached my bike.

I handed the helmet to her.

"I'm on the verge of insanity with this helmet," She said to me.

I laughed. "Get used to it," I told her as we hopped onto the bike.

We were on the road in seconds and made it to the Cullen cottage to see Edward standing by the doorstep with his arms crossed and this vacant look in his eye. Oh god! Here we go.

Nessie jumped off the bike and slipped her helmet off.

"Um…thanks for the day," She said to me. I smiled as she gave me a hug before running off to the house.

"Hi dad," She murmured before walking into the house and shutting the door behind her.

I sighed as I got off the bike.

"I know what you're thinking but it was Rachel's idea. And I didn't want her to be stuck in the cottage the whole day." I said to him.

"I get that." He said to me, but it seemed like that wasn't the problem.

"Then what's the problem?" I questioned.

He gave me a weird look before shaking his head and releasing a sigh.

"Thank you for keeping Nessie safe." He said to me. I nodded my head. "Carlisle says we should get back to Oakland Woods soon. He wants to run something by you,"

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not sure. Anyway, we'll be leaving in a couple of days."

I nodded my head. "Okay cool," I said as I made my way passed him and waltzed into the door.

Things have been cold between Edward and me. I guess that's because he almost broke my rib the other day.

Oh well…

… …

**A/N: Hey my lovely coin bears! How crazy was this crazy chapter? CRAZY!**

**Paul is not part of the Uley pack and is forced to stop phasing because of harming an imprint. Do you guys think that was a good move or totally over the border harsh? Hey! It's better than Jacob killing him, right?**

**And let's talk about Jacob's feelings for Nessie? So cute! Why don't they just end up together?!**

**I've had this chapter ready for a while but I haven't been feeling quite well this past week and I've really been stressing about classes. College is no joke guys! But I think I'll be able to update more this weekend.**

**Anyway, I'd like to say thank you so much for the reviews for the previous chapter! I would love to see new reviewers please! Your reviews mean a lot to me.**


	19. Chapter 19: Why do I feel this way?

**RENESMEE'S POV**

It's really bunk that our stay in Forks was short-lived but we still need to make sure that all the humans noticed the Cullen's weren't around anymore and us being around won't help at all.

I had such a great time in Forks. I watched Charlie get married to the love of his life, I got to hang out with old friends and I grew closer to the pack –well some of them.

And I also had a moment with Jake, a moment I thought meant as much to him as it did to me but I guess not.

I mean my feelings for him are stupid right? He's like my best friend, he has watched me grow up, and he has seen me as a baby. Of course he wouldn't view me as anything more and I'm even crazy to have feelings for someone who's way older than I am.

But these aren't just feelings…

You know what? Screw it! I'm not going to let this affect me. What happens in Forks stays in Forks. I'm here to enjoy the rest of my time in California now.

It's great to be back in Oakland Woods, nonetheless in a new year.

And it's really great to be back in school.

I pulled into my parking space with the sound of _One Republic's Counting Stars_ blasting on my radio. I slipped out of my Toyota Camry and shut the door.

"Hey, hotness!" Felicity's high pitched squeal stunned me. I grinned as I pulled my best friend into a hug. "You know, the separation anxiety was killing me the whole two weeks."

"Believe me, I feel the same." I told her as she draped her arm around mine. We began making our way over to the school building.

"Hmm…" Felicity sighed. "School… The one place where we can all lose our minds and math actually exists!" She said.

I shook my head. "Are you ready for today's exam?"

"Well, my game plan is to get into that room, rethink my life and just let the light take me wherever, and concede if all else fails!"

"Wow!" I stated.

Felicity hummed proudly as we entered through the large doors to see the familiar crowd of students of OWHS.

However as I entered, I felt a weird energy vaporizing in the air. I noticed a bunch of police officers with Captain Detective Fitzpatrick asking the principal some questions.

I pulled my hair behind my ear so I could get a proper hearken of what they were saying.

"_You haven't noticed any other unexplained incidents occurring in your school before have you?"_ Captain Fitzpatrick asked Principal Philip.

I frowned and turned to Felicity.

"Hey, what happened at the school these past weeks?" I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders as she eyed herself in her miniature makeup mirror.

"Beats me, all I heard was something about strange disappearances and killings happening in the woods. They actually banned all people from the woods until the issue was resolved. This town is getting weirder by the day." She scoffed as she applied some gloss on her lips.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. That's weird.

"Oh there's Hunter, I got to go. See in you in Biology." She said, tugging my arm lightly before running over to her boyfriend. I smiled, making my way over to my locker and placing my locker combination in.

I was about to take out my books when I felt an arm tug me by the waist. The sudden contact caused me to release a squeak and I looked to the side to see Justin grinning at me. I rolled my eyes and pushed him away lightly with a soft giggle in my throat.

"How are you?" He asked me.

I smiled as I stopped to grab hold of his jacket collar, and pulled him into a kiss on the lips. I just needed to confirm I still had feelings for him and it's a good thing that something was there.

Good enough…

I pulled away to grin up at him, gnawing my bottom lip.

He looked stunned but managed to smile and form a blush on his cheeks.

"Wow," He said with a dazed look. "I missed you too." He added.

I laughed as I pulled some books out of my locker.

"How was your break?" He asked me.

"Cold," I laughed. "But it was great!"

"Your granddad got married right?" He asked me as he leaned against someone's locker. I nodded my head.

"Yeah," I said to him. "Anyway, how did you spend your break?"

"Just sat around and did basically nothing." He told me.

"Sounds like fun," I laughed. "I thought you'd be in Italy with Alex and your dad?"

He sighed. "I'd rather not spend my two week break with that guy."

"Fair enough," I nodded my head, shutting my locker. "Is it that bad with you guys?"

"He broke my mother's heart and he hardly ever cared I existed." He said as a matter-of-factly.

"I guess that answers that." I asked as we both began walking through the hallway.

"I mean he says he tries and I can see he does but he's trying too hard. He's kind of just a guy that sends a check on Birthdays and Christmas. Speaking of which," He said, flashing a $500 check. I gasped.

"You know what this means?" I asked. He frowned. "You can get that space launcher you wanted."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh come on,"

I smiled. "Oh cheer up," I said, interlocking our hands together and resting my head on his shoulder. "If he keeps sending you checks. You'll be a millionaire in no time and just imagine when he dies, who knows what you'll inherit. Continue flirting with bankruptcy." I said to him.

"Exactly, it's just flirting." He said, kissing the side of my face. "Anyway, you still got that coupon I gave to you for your birthday?" He asked.

"Yeah, the $100 Krusty's Grill coupon," I told him.

"Well you better have it because you're going to need it this afternoon." Justin stated. I frowned.

"And why's that?" I questioned.

"You're going to see me work," He grinned widely.

My eyes widened.

"Omigosh, you got the job?" I gasped. He laughed and nodded his head. "That's amazing!"

"Fifty bucks an hour plus tips; I think this is going to be good." He stated.

I simpered but my smile fell when I felt my eyes deceive me. Looking at Justin made me imagine how it'll feel if I'd been with Jake…

The school bell went off, warning us that it was time to get to class.

I shook my head. What the hell is happening to me! Gah!

"I gotta run but save me a seat at lunch?" I told him before making my way to my first class.

I walked into my AP Biology class and took a seat, next to Felicity. I gave a small smile and snatched my books out my bag as Ms. Lizzie Maguire entered the room, looking extremely wrecked.

She placed her books on the desk and exhaled a breath.

An idiot decided to wolf whistle and comment on her state.

"Looking good, Ms. M!" Lance said, causing a couple of immature students to snigger.

Lizzie sighed and sluggishly made her way around her desk. She halted and leaned against her desk, struggling to stand up straight.

"Morning class, don't mind me. My cats gave me some allergy. Wowza!" She sniffed.

I frowned. Her cats? I didn't know she had cats.

"Ms. M, you look like you have a serious case of the Herps," Felicity laughed.

Lizzie coughed. "Oh I wish!"

My eyes bulged.

"I was assigned to give you all an assignment but…you know what? Do whatever you want." Lizzie shrugged it off and went over to her seat.

The whole class cheered and in just seconds, everyone was in complete conversation. I frowned as I watched Lizzie bang her head on her table and releasing an exasperated, whacked sigh.

I got out of my seat and trotted over to her.

"Ms. M?" I asked. She didn't reply. "Um…Lizzie?"

"Yes, mom?" She asked drowsily. I cleared my throat.

"Um…are you okay?" I questioned.

She looked up. Her eyes were all red and battered, her eyelids were darkened, her skin was as pale as a sheet –not her usual olive tan – even her hair was lighter. She didn't look like herself.

"Do I look okay?" She cried, sniffling through her nose. "I'm deadbeat! I'd rather be in my crappy apartment, drinking my perished coffee and dosing off to Ryan Seacrest's voice on KIIS FM. But we can't always get what we want right?" She sulked.

"What happened?" I asked concernedly.

Lizzie thought for a second. "I really need to have anchovies right now." She said, totally retracting from my question.

I frowned as I eyed her properly. I noticed marks on her neck as she rubbed it soothingly and her arm.

I grabbed her hand. "What happened?"

She widened her eyes, struggling to form words as she focused her gaze on her arm.

"Um…it's nothing; I just slipped and fell in the shower."

I glowered. Those marks were too prominent and _inhumanly human_ to be marks caused from a fall. Something happened to her and I have a pretty good idea what, no…who did this to her.

I gnawed my bottom lip as I dropped her hand and marched over to my seat and grabbed my bag.

"Rens?" Felicity frowned. "W-where are you going?"

I didn't reply as I shrugged my bag on my shoulder and walked out of the class.

I sauntered through the hall, my breathing heavy and passing by many classes until I found the one where I wanted to be in. I waltzed into the room as soon as the bell went off.

"What did you do?" I accused,

He frowned at me but as he probably noticed the vacant, angered look in my face, he knew what I was talking about him.

"Class, you may be dismissed." Mr. Ainsworth told them with his accent.

I watched as the sophomores roll out of the classroom and Mr. Ainsworth getting up to shut the door.

"What brings you here, Ms. Cullen?" He asked, flipping through some spreadsheets.

"What's wrong with Ms. Maguire?" I demanded.

He frowned as he lifted his head to look at me. His ocean blue eyes (fake) pierced through mine. The intensity of that look almost made me rethink this whole situation.

"What is wrong with her?" He questioned.

I scoffed. Yeah right? Like you're going to play that card with me! I'm one of you dumbass!

"Something's wrong with her and I'd like to know what. You're her boyfriend, shouldn't you know?" I asked.

He chuckled. The nerve!

"I would like it if we disclose from such terms. My relationship with Miss Maguire is none of your concern, Ms. Cullen. I'd like it if you respect that." He mentioned, taking a seat.

"Oh puff!" I stated. He glared at me. "I can't just sit here and watch you hurt her. You can't just get away with this!" I stated.

"Don't you have a class or exam to get to?"

"She has marks on her arm and neck that weren't caused by some little accident. You did something to her and I wanna know why? Is it what you do to every teacher you date? Or is it just everyone in general?" I asked.

"You're overstepping your boundaries, young lady." He said with his voice so intimidating that my pulse literally had to pick up.

I've dealt with a lot of vampires in my time and no vampire made me as nervous as he does. The vampires I encounter are at least out and the open bad but his good guy façade and persona just makes him extra dangerous.

Something about his good guy act makes me think he has an agenda that he plans to succeed in, which is why I'm still surprised I'm shouting at him and accusing him when I should be running away.

"What are you doing to her?" I interrogated as I slammed my hands on the desk dramatically.

Yeah I should probably shut the hell up if I want to still school here for my senior year.

"Young lady, I will not take that kind of tone in my class. So you either control yourself so we can have a proper conversation or I'll have to call the principal." He said calmly.

I sighed and nodded my head. I had to tone it down or else I'll blow my cover and he'll know that I come from a family of vampires.

"Alright fine! Fine!" I said, adjusting my bag.

His eyes were ogling at me with such contempt. I was almost afraid I wouldn't be breathing in the next two seconds. But obviously I didn't care.

I spun around and made my way to the door. I paused and turned around to see him glaring directly at me. I inhaled a deep breath before unfurling the door and slipping out quickly.

I exhaled the gasp of air I took in and promptly made my way to take my exam in Mrs. Fiddleson's class.

After my gut wrenchingly easy exam, I went over to my AP Spanish class with Mrs. Paola Carman Ramirez Delgado Lopez. I'm shocked I even remember that.

I caught Alex sitting at the back of the class. I was making my way over to her when someone stopped me.

"Hello," Greg greeted me.

"Um…hi Greg,"

He pulled out a small tin. "Mint?" He suggested.

I smiled. "Don't mind if I do," I said to him as I took one and threw it in my mouth and trotted my way over to Alex. "Hey!"

"Hey mamazita!" She greeted. I laughed as I gave the girl a hug. "You smell awesome today," She pointed out.

I frowned and giggled. Sweet! "Thanks,"

"So how was your winter break?" I asked her as we pulled our books out.

"Great," She simply said. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, it was horrible. Try spending a whole two weeks with your aunts, uncles and your parents in one setting and hearing them preach the same thing over and over and over."

I chuckled. "Listen, I live with my parents, aunts and uncles and not to mention my grandparents so welcome to my world."

She shook her head.

"At least Seth managed to keep me sane," Alex stated. I grinned.

"So I guess you guys are going strong?" I asked.

"I don't know. My initial plan for junior year was no boys till graduation. But then I met him and…I don't know." She shrugged, grinning widely.

"I do. You're in love with him." I said to her. She frowned at me but managed to form a small smile.

"I guess I am, aren't I?" She said.

I grinned. Wow! It was great seeing Alex so happy. I guess an imprint can change a person's view on things. A couple of months ago I'd expect Alex to derail every guy on this planet with no intention of changing her beliefs but seeing her in a whole new light made me wonder how it must feel to be imprinted or have someone imprint on me.

A thought always goes at the back of my mind.

What if Jacob imprinted on someone? How would I react?

"Buenos dias, niños!" Senorita Lopez greeted as she entered the class.

"Buenos dias, maestro!" we all called out in unison.

"Nuestra primero lección de días número." She said to all of us, breaking down today's work. Numbering in the Spanish language…

I scoffed. This was going to be easy.

"¿quién es el primero, por favor?" She asked for any volunteers. "Wyatt Benson, ¿qué te parece tu?"

Wyatt looked stunned as all eyes were on him. He frowned and turned to the teacher.

"Por favor?" He said.

Everyone laughed. I also couldn't contain the giggle in my throat. He clearly was asking the teacher a question rather than giving the answer.

"Por favor ¿qué?" The teacher questioned.

"Por favor?" Wyatt repeated.

Alex roared into laughter and I was struggling to stifle my guffaw. He just needed to stop.

"No sabes la respuesta, ¿no es así?" Señorita López questioned.

"Por favor?" Wyatt continued repeating his plea and we all were on the verge of not containing our laughter any longer.

Mrs. López sighed. "Eres/es inteligente," She told him sarcastically.

"No soy americano!" He stated.

I shook my head. Oh god!

"Poder tu decir 'Soy inglés/estudiante'?" She pointed out, asking him to repeat what she just said.

"Oh right I got this one." He began, clearing his throat. "Si!"

Mrs. López waited for him to continue. Wyatt looked between all the patient, waiting eyes and frowned.

"What?" The guy with the long frizzy hair shrugged.

We all shook our heads and sighed.

"¿otra persona?" She asked.

I raised my hand up.

"Si, Ms. Cullen!" She pointed me out.

"Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez," I replied to the question.

"Muy calenté," Señorita López told me. I grinned.

"Muy muy, chica!" Alex whispered to me, nudging my arm. I rolled my eyes.

"It's only just numbers." I said to her.

"¡vamos!, ¡venga!" She exclaimed, as she turned to her table. "In a couple of weeks we're going be on an expo. We'll be studying the history of the Spanish and Latina culture. So these are the signup sheets which you have to give to your, padres!" She said, handing them out.

As if on cue, the dismissal bell went off and everyone scurried off to their bags and stormed out of the class.

"You know, I'm excited for this exposition." Alex told me.

"Oh," I hummed.

"It'll be a great time to fall asleep. Five hours is just not enough for my little mind." She said.

"Shouldn't you be having at least eight hours of sleep? Maybe that's the reason, Alex," I mentioned.

She gasped. "I am totally appalled by the insinuation!"

I laughed and shook my head as we slipped out of the class. I noticed another bunch of cops tallying around the principal's office with Captain Fitzpatrick talking to a couple of guys in suits.

I noticed Luke hiding behind one of the chairs. I shook my head and snickered. The captain noticed him and turned to his fellow officers.

"Give me a second," The Captain said and walked up to his son, holding him up by the collar. "Don't you have an exam to get to?"

"What's going on? Did you find anything on him yet?" Luke asked.

"Who?"

"Ray Parker, who else?" Luke questioned. The Captain sighed.

"We're working on it. You go take your exam." Captain ordered.

"Dad, listen –"

"Go now!" The Detective argued.

"This is really important. You have to be careful out there, especially tonight." Luke stated, staring into his dad's eyes.

"Luke, don't you think I know that?" The Detective mentioned.

"I know that but…" Luke sighed, glancing at the students. "You've never dealt with this kind of thing before. It's crazy."

"I know, I know, which is why I brought in the faculty and state detectives who have. Everything's going to be okay, son." The Captain assured Luke. He nodded. "Now go take you exam."

Luke nodded his head, shrugging his bag over his shoulder and began heading over to his classroom. I frowned.

"So what do you think happened while we were gone? I mean with all the cops being here and everything?" I asked my friend.

"Well for starters, this town's a little on the kuku-train at this point. I've only been here for a couple of years and strange things have happened."

"Like what?"

"Like serial killers waltzing in every five minutes, mysterious deaths happening every ten days! And I hear there are even haunted mansions." She whispered the last part.

"Omigosh, are you serious?" I questioned, my eyes bulged in astonishment and nervousness.

"No, silly, well I'm not quite sure; there was that episode at camp though." She said in reminiscent. I frowned. "I'm pulling your leg again, Ness!"

I chuckled nervously. "So you don't believe any of these allegations?"

"People die every day; it's just that people make it a big deal for no reason at all. I'll only start believing what they say if it ever happened to me." She said but then just laughed. "Not even then,"

I smiled. "Wait, you just called me Ness?"

"Oh. Um…I assumed since that's what Seth and Jake call you. I thought maybe you preferred it." Alex shrugged. "By the way, I didn't want to mention anything but Renesmee's a mouthful. I'm sorry but your parents…" She cleared her throat.

I laughed and released a playful gasp.

"I am sorry but I love my name! It's a combination of both my grandmother's. It means so much to me." I told her.

"Hey, I'm all for family empowerment or family legacy or whatever but I wouldn't allow my folks to go that far." She teased me. I rolled my eyes. I caught the sight of a 5ft 6 girl with shoulder length wavy light auburn locks and soft skin standing by one of the lockers, with a cigarette in her grasp whilst reading a book. She had a gloomy, shadowy edge to her look. She looked…wounded?

"Reed!" Coach Flak called out. The girl widened her eyes and threw the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it and looking up at the Coach. "Why do I smell smoke of tobacco and your nasty breath filling the air?"

"Um…I don't know. Maybe it's because you hate me so much?" She asked.

"You've been expelled from thirteen schools! Don't you think your parents think you should pull your act together?" Coach Flak questioned.

"My dad's dead and my mom doesn't even know I exist so I don't think I have any authority figures to look up to." She told him. Coach Flak fell silent. "So if you have anyone else you think can 'change me' then I'm sorry for your disappointment because I have nobody."

Coach Flak glanced around every student who was witnessing the showdown and nodded his head.

"Just…don't do it again," The unfiltered Coach stated before walking away. "What are you guys looking at? Get to class, dumbasses!" He shouted.

I frowned as I watched as the girl pulled another cigar out of her back pocket and began lighting it.

"Who's she?" I questioned as we reached Alex's locker.

I've seen her around but I didn't know her personally.

"Oh that's Rea 'Damaged' Reed. We call her Damaged because she's had it rough for the past five years. Her father and brother, Benjamin and Oliver Reed died in a private plane crash back in `09. They were on a business trip." Alex told me, pulling her books out.

"Who were the Reed's?" I asked.

"The Reeds were an empire dynasty of a family, or should I say 'royalty' of Oakland Woods. Benjamin Reed was the founder of Reed enterprises which created countless of jobs in this town. He was running for mayor before he died." She said. "If he ever died, he'd leave his empire to children Oliver and Rea. Oliver Reed was the popularly profound eligible bachelor/party boy/fuckboy. He's the epitome of a jerkward but he had one hell of a fine body."

"Um, pressing topic, Alex." I reminded her.

"Relax, my eyes are only fixated on one fine body!" She laughed. "Anyway, his family hated his bad boy party ways. I hear the family were fed up with him and decided to teach him how real life works but I don't know. During a business trip to Thailand and Fiji, he and his dad took a private plane but they were unaware of the heavy intense storm along the Indian Ocean and that's all we ever got to know. The plane was found, crashed and bruised obviously."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked.

"It was on the local news. It was a serious trend back then." She told me. "Anyway, long story short, they found Benjamin's body but not Oliver's."

"So he was missing?"

She shrugged. "None of us know, but the police department presumed him dead."

I nodded.

"Oh no, it wasn't just them…um there was someone else." She began, then leaned in. "Hanna Fitzpatrick, Luke's sister."

"Luke has a sister?" I questioned.

"_**Had**_," She told me. "She died along with them. Her body remains were lost into the sea."

"Wow," I simply said.

"Yeah, and we thought we had it rough huh?" She chuckled. "Hey, it would be great if you didn't bring it up to Luke. He's still trying to get over it."

I nodded my head. "Of course," I said. "So that's why Luke's dad's all on edge?"

"I guess." She said.

"Hey," Justin greeted as he came into view. I smiled brightly.

"Hey," I said as he draped his arms around my waist and kissed my cheek. I giggled softly and pushed him away.

"Okay, barf!" Alex stated as she shut her locker. "Um…I'm going to run to my math class while I still can." She stated, staring at us with eyes of disgust.

I laughed.

"I love your sister." I said to him.

"Well I hate her so that's one thing we don't have in common," He joked. I smiled. "How was your midterm?"

"Piece of cake," I simply replied. "How about you?"

He sighed. "I'm kind of struggling to grasp it. I'm flunking, my grades are down. I don't know how to get them up."

"Well you should just study more. We could even study together." I suggested as I slipped some of my books in my bag.

"I'd totally be down for that."

I chuckled.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" I asked him.

"I have a free period," He told me.

"Well I don't so I'll see you later," I stated, slapping his cheeks before walking away and heading to my Chemistry class.

The day ended rather quickly but it didn't end for me. I had cheerleading practice.

"Ready okay!" Felicity began. "We are strong! We have power –" She paused as she noticed not all of us were into it. "W-wait what's going on girls?"

"Felicity, we've been practicing for over an hour. Can we take a break?" Maddie mentioned.

Felicity gasped. "Oh, um sorry? I don't remember hearing one of the finest cheerleading squad taking a break at the championships? Did your mother take break when she gave birth to you huh? Did Mariah Carey take a seat when she reached those high notes? Did Martin Luther King take a break from fighting for his community? Did John F. Kennedy take a break from sleeping with Marilyn Monroe huh?" Felicity interrogated as she circled around the girls. We all shook our heads. "No! That's right! So there is no taking a break until I say we take a break which will never happen because we'll never ever take a break!" She shouted.

I widened my eyes. I didn't know she was so intense and passionate.

Felicity sighed. "Now back to cheering. Oh here's the hurling team. Show some team spirit ladies!" She began as she told us to grab our pompoms and start screaming.

"Go Hunter! Wahoo!" She squealed as Hunter passed by and slipped his helmet on. She jumped around in her cheerleading outfit.

"Shouldn't we be cheering the team on?"

"Hunter!" Felicity simply replied. Hunter glared at her and Felicity grinned, waving at her boyfriend. "Don't worry baby! It's okay! I wasn't talking to you."

I noticed Justin standing by the bleachers with Luke. He was shirtless.

Oh god! He was shirtless!

But he had nothing on Jake –

Stop it Nessie!

He slipped his t-shirt on and threw his gear on his shoulders. He looked up to see me and waved. I smiled and waved back.

"Do you have a question?" Our cheerleading coach, Coach Laura Hoffman waltzed in.

"No, Coach,"

She nodded her head. "Hello my humble abo. Well if it isn't the tweedle Dee's." She began as she gestured to the cheerleaders who have been around from the beginning. "And the tweedle Dumbs," She said, motioning to the newcomers. "I'm Coach Hoffman for people who don't know me but for those who do…I hate you all and all you gassy negative energy! No seriously, all of you go see a doctor. Your dog spit, chicken gut skunk stench is revolting. It's like sitting through Sandy's Daily Round up every Sunday."

I frowned. What?

The girls rolled their eyes.

"And for all of those who don't know me…" She paused, releasing a chuckle as she took a step forward. "You're going to wish I were dead to you." She murmured to us, giving us all a devilish look.

I sighed. _Ooh cheerleading is going to be fun!_

I rue the day I ever agreed to this.

… …

**A/N: What did you guys think? I know 'Why aren't Nessie and Jake together yet' 'Why do we have Justin and Renesmee and not Janesmeee?'. Yeah well patience is a virtue I believe.**

**I've introduced a couple of characters in this story which will be a major part in all the secrets and lies that will unfold…hmm-hmm *Aro laugh*. None of you can predict what's going to happen next but if you can, you're a freaking genius and I hate you.**

**Anyhow, that's the chapter folks! I hope you enjoyed it. It was a doosie for me. Keep an eye out for the next chapter all you Jake/Nessie fans.**

**Please review all your thoughts and thank you for all your support!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	20. Chapter 20: Archery

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" Justin said to me as he walked me out of the deli restaurant doors in his _Krusty's Grill_ tee and apron.

I smiled. "Of course, you'll see me tomorrow, it's a school day." I told him with a chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah of course," He laughed as he stared at the ground, leaning against the door. "But I actually meant I'd like to see you back here again. It's two-for-one special Tuesday." He told me.

"That's sounds inviting," I said to him as I held my jacket in my arms and ran my fingers through my hair.

He smiled crookedly. "This was fun," He told me.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, it was," I smiled back. I heard a bunch of cars honking and I turned around to see an irate parker, honking at my car. I rolled my eyes.

"I gotta go," I said, turning back to Justin.

"Bye," He said, leaning in to kiss me on the lips, but I quickly drifted my head away so his lips landed on my cheek instead. I looked up and gave him an awkward smile.

"Bye," I replied as I spun on my heel and trotted my way over to my car.

… …

After slipping out of my car, I made my way up to the house and began rummaging through my bag for the house keys. I unfurled the door and waltzed into the house. I shut the door behind me and began making my way up the stairs when I heard the sound of the TV playing from the living room.

"_**Eric Dekker comes flying in one the curve! And oh! He made a touch down…**_" The commentator mentioned.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I slowly turned around. Someone was home? I thought everyone was out. I walked into the living room to see nobody there.

Did my parents leave the TV on this morning?

"Look who's home," I heard a husky voice call from behind me which caused me to yelp and flinch in absolute fright.

I spun around to see Jacob standing behind me, dressed in a dark leather jacket and denim jeans with his helmet in his grasp.

"Jake!" I sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry I gave you a fright." He said to me.

I shook my head. "No, no it's okay um. I didn't know you were here?" I said.

Ever since we returned from Forks, things between Jake and I have been, I don't know, awkward and off. I mean, I only see him when Esme invites Jake and I over for dinner at the main house. The times I get to see him, he acts really distant around me.

I probably thought he still felt guilty about the whole Paul thing –which I was glad my parents hadn't detected – but then I started to think maybe it was me. Maybe I was the problem.

I mean I get it. Things between us haven't been all that great these past few months. Although we were close, it wasn't the same. Maybe that's because of my feelings –my strange, unwanted feelings – for him.

I just wished we'd go back to how we were.

"Uh yeah, Alice asked me to grab her some things she left here the other day. I don't know if you've seen them?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "I don't remember Alice leaving anything here. Actually, I don't think she was here since last week." I told him.

The last time Alice was here was probably when she helped us settle in, and that was basically filling up our closet space.

He sighed. "I guess it was just poor communication,"

I frowned. That was unlike Alice. She'd always make sure what she says to all of us sticks in our brains –which can get quite annoying every time she does it.

I smiled slightly, looking at the ground cumbersomely.

"Where are you coming from?" He asked me, gesturing to the sports bag and the outfit I had on.

"Oh uh –" I paused as I tapped my bag lightly. "Cheerleading practice,"

He nodded his head. "How's it going?"

I thought for a minute. "Well, um, it's certainly not what I'd expected." I chuckled awkwardly. "But it's okay, I guess."

He smiled at me. "So, Carlisle called up a small family meeting at the main house. Everyone's there, we're just waiting for you."

"Family meeting?" I questioned.

The only time we have family meetings is when we're either plotting some plan to defeat an enemy, or an occasional event which hardly ever happens.

"Yeah, it seems really important. We gotta be there in five minutes," He told me.

I frowned. "Um, okay, I'll just grab some clean clothes and I'll be down in a minute." I told.

I was down in literally a minute and Jake and I headed out. We reached the Cullen mansion in less than five minutes. We entered the house to see my family congregated in the living room in full throttle conversation. They all focused their gaze on us as we entered the room.

"We're glad you could make it, Jake and Nessie," Carlisle told us.

"What's going on?" I questioned –cutting straight to the chase – as I took a seat by the piano where both my parents were.

My dad and grandfather gave each other distinct looks before my grandfather sighed and took the stand.

"Well, we've called this meeting to order because we'd like to point out an incident that occurred on our hunting trip weeks ago." Carlisle began.

"What incident?" Jacob asked.

"We smelt a scent." Jasper said.

"What scent?" I asked.

"Vampire scent," Edward replied in a way that maid my gut churn.

My eyes swelled in absolute shock.

"W-wait?" Bella laughed. "You're telling us that there's a vampire in town?" The beautiful immortal posed. The family nodded their heads. "Are there vampires everywhere we go?"

"Are you even sure this was a vampire?" Jacob asked.

"We know a familiar stench when we smell it." Emmett stated. "Emmett and I were crossing the Oakland Woods borderline when we encountered the vampire."

"But you didn't actually see him, right?" Jacob questioned.

"Or her," Rosalie injected curtly.

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "Her, him, it, doesn't make a difference." He said. "So you guys didn't catch **it**?"

"When we tried to run after him, his scent immediately disappeared. It probably knew there were vampires here as well."

I couldn't believe this.

"There was another scent." Dad brought up. I wondered how he knew about this but I guess they had the conversation way before we came and he probably read it off their minds. "A human blood scent,"

"So he was feeding on a human?" Bella asked rhetorically.

Jake laughed nervously. "Okay, then, let's get this _mothertrucker_!" Jake grinned. Nobody backed him up –well besides Emmett who just sniggered – and he frowned. "Why aren't we doing something about this?"

I glared at my family.

"Because this isn't our fight, this isn't our town, we shouldn't get involved." My grandfather, Carlisle stated shockingly.

"We don't want to make new enemies." Esme said. "I will not risk losing my family,"

"Do you think these so called 'random killings' were caused by vampires?" I asked, looking up at my dad.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't rule it out but, as far as we know, the killings were described as human attacks."

"Murders in the woods? Human attacks? Seriously?" Jacob pointed out. "The justice system in this town is weird."

"The law enforcement department of California is investigating on it." Edward answered.

"This can't be newborns, right?" Bella demanded in absolute dismay. She was probably remembering the time the newborn army came for her back when she was human. I only heard stories about it, but never actually got the full extent of it.

"I doubt it." Alice pointed out, standing by the corner of the room. I almost didn't realize she was in the room because she was just so small.

"Why would you say that?"

"I would've seen it." She said. "I mean, since we came here, it's been harder to see visions because I'm not exactly familiar to it but a bunch of newborn vampires terrorizing the community would've popped up really quickly."

"There's probably something hindering your visions." Carlisle sighed, turning to Jacob who frowned when all eyes were on him.

"Oh, come on," He retorted. "It can't be me! You could see visions just fine when we were back in Forks and now I'm the reason you can't? That's cold."

"We're not saying it's because of you she can't see, Jacob. All we're saying is, the reason why Alice couldn't see visions were because of the wolf pack and Nessie. So we're thinking maybe…" Edward began.

"There are more shape shifters?" Bella ended off. "I thought that was just a Quileute thing."

"It is!" Jacob defended and then let his eyebrows crease. "At least I think it is,"

"California is home to a few Native Americans so we really have no idea." Jasper said. "But it's highly doubtful. It has to be something else."

"Okay, hold on. Let's go back to the vampire issue." My mom articulated, clearly not letting go of the main topic. "What are we going to do about it?"

"The plan is to stay away as far as we can, unless it gets out of hand." Carlisle said. "So basically, if the killings escalate, we're forced to intervene. I'll do my part by talking to a couple of my patients at the hospital, asking any of the victims if they had noticed anything peculiar."

"So what do we do?" Jake asked.

"If you encounter a vampire, anyone you sense is suspicious, you get back to us. And only then we'll figure out a plan to get to them. This will not fall…" My father continued talking but I immediately tuned him out as my brain began replaying all the memories.

My heart began to thud as I began to remember the current position I was in. Vampires. I knew a vampire. One that was suspicious as well and fit the criteria. I had been hiding the suspect all this time.

I fell onto the seat and stared at the horizon. _A vampire's in town? _I knew exactly what they were talking about.

I could hear the silence thickening in the air and I turned around to see my father narrowing his eyes at me in a mix-up, fearful look on his face.

"You knew?" He asked me.

Holy cow! He read my mind! Oh god no!

I looked at the entire room to see all eyes on me. I cleared my throat.

"Um, yeah…" I began. "I-I didn't think it meant something, and I didn't have enough evidence."

"You know about a vampire in town?" Jake asked.

"And you didn't tell us?" Bella probed, staring at me with a kind of disappointment I didn't enjoy very much.

"I-I didn't want to stress you guys out." I said. "I didn't think there was any danger."

"Nessie! A vampire is always dangerous!" Jake retorted. Although he wasn't shouting at me per se, I still managed to flinch. "I'm sorry," He apologized.

"Where did you meet up with him?" Edward asked me.

"Um…at school," I told him nervously. He waited for me to elaborate. "He's my history teacher."

"Oh," Esme chimed, placing her face in the head.

Edward turned to my mother and they both had this little conversation before turning to me, both releasing a sigh.

"This is not good…" Mom pointed out.

I flashed a nervous smile.

I'm grilled cheese!

… …

The day flew by quite quickly and I found myself walking down the halls of my school the next day. When I told my family about my history teacher being a vampire, they freaked out as expected. I had no idea what they were going to do about the situation; I mean I told them he didn't seem _that_ dangerous. Not _that_ dangerous…

My parents decided that I should pull out of history class for a while, until the matter is resolved or whatever. But there was one flaw in that plan that I didn't tell my parents about.

I had a feeling that would cause more suspicion to Mr. Ainsworth since I blatantly attacked him the other day.

Oh god!

"Save the date for the Spring Junior Prom!" I heard Felicity call out as she and a bunch of her cheerleader friends handed out flyers to students. "Get your tickets!" She squealed.

"Tickets!" Lissa squealed loudly, as she placed the prom posters on the school walls.

"All dancing, all singing, all drinking on me!" Felicity stated as she ran around the school in her six inch hills and sequence dress. I laughed as I stood by the flyer table and grabbed one.

"_**The Night in the Stars"**_

**Oakland Woods High Junior Prom!**

**April 18****th**

**7pm – Midnight**

**Get your tickets at the prom court committee while stocks last!**

**Enjoy a night in the stars with your beau! This time it's ladies choice!**

I laughed. Felicity definitely created this.

Prom is only three months away.

"Ladies choice?" I laughed.

"Oh yeah, the girls get to ask the boys." Maddie grinned at me. "Here you go," She said, handing out a flyer to one of the juniors who winked back at her.

I smiled as I placed the flyer back.

I made my way over to Felicity and rubbed her arm gently. She spun around and released a sigh of relief when she saw me.

"Thank god, you're here," She grinned and handing me a couple of invites. "I need you to hand these out to everyone you know. We have approximately over twelve hundred students in the school and two hundred that belong to juniors so that leaves us with a thousand that nobody cares about! But the gym needs to be fully packed so that would require you to invite anyone you think would want to party." She rambled.

"But the school won't allow it to go out of hand, you do know that right?" I pointed out.

"Are you talking about the prom? Oh, honey, I'm talking about the after party at my house." She laughed. She gasped. "I need to get cake! And condoms –no I mean kegs! Kegs!" She retorted as she turned around.

I shook my head and shoved the flyers in my side bag. I sauntered my way over to my first class which was Calculus with Mr. Figgins.

After that period ended, I was making my way over to my locker when I found myself bumping into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said profusely. I looked up to see Rea Reed staring at me with her dark eyeliner encircling her emerald eyes. "I wasn't aware of where I was going."

"Obviously," She rolled her eyes.

I gave her a small smile, despite getting the cold shoulder.

"Um…I'm Renesmee –" I began as I stretched my hand out but was immediately cut off.

"I know who you are." Rea mentioned brusquely. I nodded my head and fixed my gaze on the ground apprehensively. "Sorry, my therapist says I can get a little discourteous sometimes." She pointed out.

"It's okay." I smiled at her.

"I have to take off. Principal Philip called me out…again." She told me. I chuckled and watched her walk away.

I smiled as I made my way over to my locker and placing in my locker combination. As I unfurled the locker door, I stared at the picture of Jake and me at my birthday party last year.

"You guys look cute," I heard a voice whisper in my ear and I flinched abruptly and I watched as my books fell to the ground.

I sighed as I looked up to see my friend, Alex grinning at me. I smiled as I bent down to clear up the book pile.

"'Barron's AP Chemistry: Molotov?'" Alex questioned as she helped me with lifting my books off the ground. "How many A.P. classes does it take before your brain explodes?" She asked me.

"I'm already drowning in there," I sighed.

"Why, what's drowning for you? A-minus?" She laughed. I rolled my eyes and grinned back.

"I don't know. Our Chemistry assignment is due Friday and I've only written two words, my name." I sighed. "Who knew writing tests would be this stressful?" I asked oratorically.

"I think 99.9 % of every school in the U.S." She said as a matter-of-factly. I laughed, as I placed my books in my locker and shut the door. "I get it, girlfriend, transitioning from homeschooling to public school must be rough."

"You have no idea." I chuckled. I noticed Alex's gaze was focused on something else. I followed it to see her staring at Ashley talking to some girl who she held hands with. "Your ex?" I asked her.

Alex nodded her head and sighed. "She's trying to make me jealous and I don't know what to do about it."

"You don't have feelings for her right?" I asked her.

"Of course not," She retorted quickly, staring at me as if what I said was stupid. "Seth's the only one I see, the only one on my mind but I don't exactly like seeing Ashley hurt herself like this."

"Why don't you just talk to her?" I suggested. She shook her head.

"I tried but she doesn't get it," She sighed. "Anyway, what are your plans for the day?"

"Well, I'm probably going to get some studying in right after working on my homework." I told her.

"That sounds boring," She said to me. "Come over to my house afterschool."

"What are we going to do there?"

"We're not going to be doing anything reckless that's for sure." She told me. I chuckled. "We'll chill today and then maybe we can study tomorrow."

"Ugh. I'm sorry, I can't tomorrow. I promised I'd help Justin study for his exam on Thursday." I said to her.

She chuckled. "I'm sure you two will be studying all right,"

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? We're just studying together."

"Nessie," She sighed. "Just studying never really ends with just studying. It's like, sitting on the couch watching movies with your boyfriend, somebody eventually cops up a feel."

"So what are you trying to say?" I asked in confusion.

"Don't mean to sound intrusive but, just make sure he takes precautions when you're together." She told me. I frowned. "Make sure he covers up," She added. I deepened my frown. She chuckled. "Come on, Virgin Mary! Use a condom!"

My eyes widened in shock and I shook my head.

"No. No. I wouldn't go there." I laughed nervously, blushing hard. "No."

"If you say so," She chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. I never exactly thought about that but, I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet. I mean Justin and I aren't even that serious and…I don't even know.

I was making my way over to my A.P Biology class when I saw the note on Ms. Maguire's classroom door.

**Ms. Maguire won't be attending school until further notice.**

I frowned.

I noticed Mr. Ainsworth also wasn't in.

That's strange.

The school day ended rather quickly and I found myself walking over to my car. I hopped into my Camry and made my way over to my house to grab some stuff before driving over to Alex's house.

As I slipped out of the car, a huge gush of wind almost blew me over. I began sauntering my way up to the house when I felt this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt a strong energy over my shoulders. It wasn't pleasant.

I felt as if I was being followed.

Could it be the vampire? Could it be the serial killer?

My breathing hitched as I halted.

I spun around to see nothing but the breeze of the wind blowing the leaves and dust away. I shook my head.

I was being paranoid for nothing.

I chuckled as I trotted my way up the porch steps and reached the door of the modern Italian home. I double-knocked on the mahogany door and in about a minute, the door was immediately unfurled and the beautiful human girl appeared. I grinned.

"You made it,"

"Hey!" I greeted as I pulled her into a hug. My face was in her neck and I could feel my insides burning, my dry tongue tasting the air, my throat tingling as I smelt the warm blood coursing through her veins.

I pulled away quickly and gulped deeply.

"You okay?" She asked. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little parched," I told her.

"Oh, I have something for that. Come on in," She told me as she made way for me to enter.

As I took a step forward into the house, I felt this odd aura radiating throughout the house. I suddenly felt self-conscious and almost…endangered?

I heard the door shut.

"Come on," Alex said, gesturing for me to follow her. We reached to what I would think was the kitchen area. She unfurled the refrigerator door and pulled out a glass of freshly squeeze orange juice.

"You didn't get lost on your way here, right?" She asked me as she pulled out two cups.

"No," I said, placing my handbag on the kitchen counter as I took a seat on the island chair. "I remember passing by here a couple of times and it's only about six minutes away from where I stay."

"Whiskey or Vodka?" She asked me.

"Whiskey," I replied unknowingly. I widened my eyes. "Wait! What?" I questioned. She laughed as she pulled out two bottles of Burgundy and Clique.

"It helps with thirstiness. I discovered it a while back; I didn't need to drink water for almost two days." She chuckled.

I smiled. "No. I'm good. Orange juice will suffice," I dismissed.

"You haven't had alcohol before, have you?" She asked me.

I shook my head. "Never,"

"Wow!" She stated as she poured vodka in her drink. "Is there anything you do that's impure?"

I blushed. "I've been grounded for sneaking out," I told her.

"Doesn't count," She told me.

"I've slept way past my curfew."

"Still doesn't count." She said as she placed the drinks back. She glared at me. "Wait, you have a curfew?"

I nodded my head. "Sadly, I do."

She widened her eyes. "That's rough. Are your parents that strict?"

I shrugged. "The story of my life," I told her with a chuckle.

She took a sip of her drink. "I know how you feel; my dad is by far the most protective man on this planet."

"I don't think that's true. Try meeting my dad," I told her.

"My dad thinks that every time I step foot out of the house, he needs to call me to make sure I wasn't killed yet." She said.

"My dad felt the need to lock me up in my room for almost a week because of an incident that happened when I was ten." I said, remembering the time a rouge vampire almost killed me when I was hunting on my own.

"So you're trying to one-up 'overprotective dads' I see." She teased. "Fine, you win." She said.

I smiled proudly.

Wow! I'm proud to have an over compulsive, overprotective dad? That's a first.

"But I bet your dad didn't teach you self-defense." She pointed out.

"That depends, what type of self-defense?"

She stared at me, gnawing her bottom lip before grabbing me by the hand.

"Come on, I'll show you." She said as we both began making our way to where it looked like to be the garage. She unfurled the door.

"So, my family is crazy when it comes to adrenaline. We're adventure junkies. We always want to try new things, especially when it came to protection." She said to me as she reached a door and began punching a code in which opened to a secret pathway. She and I entered into it until we reached a conserved room with a line of firearms. Firearms you couldn't imagine.

My eyes widened when I passed by an AK-47. I released a stringy whistle. I had never seen this much armor in a room this big. It looked like a museum or Sears of guns!

"Yeah," She chuckled. "So I know what you're thinking. My family's not this gun-crazed family. My dad works for the FBI so he keeps all his guns in a secret compartment lair. He also gives some of his lethal ammo to the military."

"Secret?" I questioned. "I should not be here, then," I said to her, turning around but she stopped me by gripping my hand.

"Hey, it's okay." She told me. "What my parent's won't know won't hurt them. And also, it's not like you saw anything you shouldn't see." She said, low-key warning me not to say anything. I chuckled and nodded my head.

"True," I replied.

As she went over to grab something, I took the liberty to roam around and mesmerize at the scenery of guns, guns and more guns!

"Got it!" She squealed which made me focus my attention on her. I made my way over to her.

"What do you have there?" I asked with a chuckle.

I instantaneously shut my mouth as I watched as she pointed a sharp object on the tip of my nose. My eyes widened as I raised my hands in the air in defense.

"Omigosh!" I screeched as I flinched. She giggled as she let the sharp object cease.

"This is a Recurve and Compound hybrid bow. One of the very few of its kind." She said to me. "And I think I think it requires an arrow to be lethal but I wouldn't know," She said, teasing my reaction.

"Well, how am I supposed to react when you have a sharp bow jabbed against my nose?" I told her. She smiled.

"I was internationally ranked as a kid. Came in third," She told me as she placed the bow on the counter and went to a cabinet and pulled out a black case.

"That's great." I stated in shock.

"I guess, my dad wanted me to get into it. He said that it'll carry family tradition. I enjoyed it but as I grew up it got tedious." She said, typing in a code.

"So your family enjoys archery?"

"Especially during peak season and Thanksgiving," She said to me.

"I don't mean to sound morbidly curious, but why?" I questioned, eying her with a strange kind of confusion.

She turned to me and grinned cheekily.

"We _hunt_," She whispered to me. My eyes bulged and she laughed. "Messing with you,"

I smiled nervously. "You have a really strange kind of humor, Alex."

"Oh come on, you wouldn't actually believe I'd hunt would you? I'm a PETA ambassador." She joked. I giggled. "I'm serious!"

"Come on, I wanna show you something." She said to me as she grabbed something –to what seemed like arrows – out of the case, placing it into a sheath and snatched the bow.

I followed her out until we found ourselves heading over to the forest.

"So what are you going to show me in the middle of the forest?" I asked her as I went over a tree branch and crumbled on a bunch of leaves.

"Something really awesome," She said as she halted, dropping her bag on the ground and facing a large oak tree. She shoved her protective gloves on and pulled an arrow out of its sheath and placed it in between the hybrid bow and aimed at the lone tree.

"Is this dangerous?"

"It's not lethal." Alex replied to me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Wait, so does that mean it could be dangerous?"

She scoffed. "I guess we'll have to find out." She told me as she pulled the string back against her cheek. She took a deep breath before releasing.

I watched as the arrow began flying and went straight through the bulls eye target of the tree.

"That was a perfect shot, right?" I questioned. She laughed and nodded her head.

"I told you I was good." She stated before grabbing another arrow.

She situated the arrow in between the bow and the string again and aimed for the target. This time she took a longer while to make the shot. I watched as she sucked in a deep breath, the wind blowing in her hair and closing her eyes shut before releasing the arrow.

When it hit the tree, the arrow sprout out like a bunch of cobwebs and the sound of an explosion pierced through our ears and I covered my face when a spark of fiery light reached my eyes.

I unconcealed my eyes to see the tree covered in fire and slowly turning into ashes. My eyes widened in absolute shock as I looked up at Alex who had the same shock on her face.

"What the hell was that?" I questioned in fright.

She kept quiet for a second before saying, "I don't know."

… …

Alex and I made it back to her house quickly after the scene and she ran back to the garage to return the bow and arrows. I was currently sitting in her bedroom when I heard a car pull up the driveway. I hopped off her bed and made my way over to her window, moving the drapes to the side to see a man and woman slipping out of the car.

The bedroom door was opened immediately.

"My parents are home," She told me. I turned to her and nodded my head. "Promise you won't tell them anything about what just happened?" She pleaded.

I nodded. "Of course," I said to her.

She and I left her room and began descending the staircases when the door was immediately unfurled and Alex's parents waltzed into the house.

"Hey!" Alex greeted her folks.

"Oh, Alex, you're home." The woman said as she shrugged her coat off her shoulders. "How are you, sweetheart?" She asked.

Alex nodded her head as she jumped off the last staircase and walked over to her dad.

"Let me help you there, dad." She said, helping him slip out of his coat.

"Thank you sweetheart," The man said.

Only then I noticed the line of guns around him, placed in holsters.

"I didn't know you were bringing a friend over." The man said as he noticed me.

Looking at him, I noticed how familiar he looked. He looked so much like Justin you'd swear they were twins if it wasn't for the fact that his dad was to some extent taller than him and had an older face. From the blue eyes and hair down to the muscle structure –however, the man looked bigger – you'd swear they were replicas of each other.

"Yeah, this is Renesmee, my friend from school I told you about." Alex introduced.

I hopped off the stairs and extended my hand out to them.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Mazzola," I told them as I shook the mother's hand and then the dad's.

"Ahh, Renesmee. Alex's told us so much about you," Justin and Alex's dad said to me. Looking at him, you'd think he was intimidating even when he was being courteous.

"She didn't tell us how beautiful you were," Her mother said. I blushed.

"Mom," Alex rolled her eyes.

"I'm Alessandro," The man with the thick American-Italian accent stated. "And this is my wife, Margareta."

"But you can call me, Marg." The woman stated. I smiled back.

"And you may call me Nessie. Because apparently, my name's a mouthful," I said, playfully narrowing my eyes at my friend who shrugged.

Alessandro and Marg laughed.

"Well, Nessie, would you like to stay for dinner?" Marg suggested.

I turned to Alex who just gave me a small smile and shrugged her shoulders at me as if to say, "Why not?"

I smiled, turning back to her parents and smiling back at them.

"Sure," I replied politely. "I'll just tell my parents I'll be a little late."

… …

I drove back home later that night, probably around eight o'clock. Dinner with the Mazzola's was fun. Despite the fact that Alex's dad scares me a little, it was a stellar night.

When I reached the Cullen mansion which I assumed everyone was at – the door was immediately opened and I was met with a disappointed look on my father's face.

"You're late." He said.

I frowned. "I said I'd be home at eight." I told him.

"It's 20:03," He simply replied.

I widened my eyes. Seriously?

"Come on, dad!" I moaned.

My mom appeared and patted him on the shoulder.

"Really, Edward?" She giggled, looking up at my dad with an amused expression. He didn't turn to her. "She was at her friend's house for dinner, not at a club. And no human in the world makes it anywhere exactly on the deadline."

"But she's not human Bella!" Edward argued.

Oh my – Are you freaking kidding me?

"Edward," Bella sighed.

"Dad, you're seriously being unreasonable. I stopped by the house to grab some things." I added.

"See! She has a perfectly good reason." My mom backed me up.

I loved her so much.

Edward rolled his eyes.

"If that's the case, then fine, you're off the hook." He told me.

I squealed and made a little jump. I curtsied.

"Why thank you, oh noble master! I promise I won't break a rule ever again." I said and just rolled my eyes as I entered through the house, marching right past him. I could hear my dad sigh behind me.

I walked into the living room where I caught my uncles, Jake and Seth watching a baseball game.

Jake looked up when he saw me and I flashed him a smile before making my way over to him.

"Hey!" I said, situating myself right by his side.

"Hey," He grinned back as he placed his arm around me. "How are you?" He asked me.

"Great and stuffed," I smiled. He grinned back but it didn't last for long when he looked up to see my father entering the room and immediately moved his arm away from me.

"Aww dammit!" My uncle Emmett retorted when the opposing team hit a homerun. "If I was in the team, I'd play way better than these assheads!"

"Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Alice went to run an errand, Esme's in the kitchen and Carlisle's at the hospital." Seth replied, his eyes not moving from the screen.

"Did you see your teacher today?" My father asked me.

I shook my head. "No. He wasn't in today." I told him.

My father sighed as he and my mom gave each other a look. The sound of the doorbell ringing drew our attention.

"Are we expecting anyone?" Bella questioned.

Edward shook his head. He had a weird frown on his face. He was probably reading their minds. He and mom began making their way to the door and I hopped off the couch and followed their tail.

"Is this the Cullen residence?" A familiar voice was uttered in panic.

"Yes, who wants to know?" Edward questioned.

"I need your help," I heard the female say. I suddenly reached the door and noticed who the lady was.

She looked distressed, panicked and worried. Her face was all puffed up and her eyes were all red.

My eyes widened.

"Ms. Maguire?" I called.

My mom and dad raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Lizzie noticed me and her eyes bulged in shock.

"Renesmee?" She exclaimed.

What the hell was going on?

… …

**A/N: CLIFFHANGER! I hate those. How did you guys like that chapter? This long chapter was filled with information that will be crucial as the story progresses. It's crazy that I'm on my 20****th**** chapter. **

**{Guess what, I discovered the reason why I was sick all the time and the reason was because I'm pregnant! What? Lol.}**

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**Sound off all your theories on what's coming up in the next chapter and what's happening to Lizzie:**

**A. She's running away from the killer**

**B. She's being chased after by Charles Ainsworth**

**C. She's dying **

**D. Something weirder**

**Which of my OC's POV would you guys like to see in the future? Tell me in your reviews, please!**

**Review! Follow! Favorite!**


	21. Chapter 21: Threat

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"Ms. Maguire, what are you doing here?" I questioned as I blinked, making sure I could see properly because I wasn't quite sure to trust my sight.

Why is my A.P Biology teacher standing on my doorstep, looking absolutely wrecked and shaken? And most importantly, how did she even know where I lived?

"I-I…" She stammered, her voice cracking and shaking uncontrollably. She had this face that only showed uncertainly.

"She needs our help," My father interjected with a frown between his brows. Lizzie's eyes bulged. "Yes, I read minds."

"Dad!" I retorted in shock.

He can't just blurt out our cover like that!

"Edward!" My mother blurted at exactly the same time I did. Dad ignored us as his eyes were fully transfixed on the broken down woman.

Rosalie and Esme came into view, trying to figure out the commotion was.

"Y-you read my mind!" Lizzie stuttered. "How are you able to read my mind?" She added frantically.

"Wait? How does she know?" I questioned.

"This is impossible," Lizzie mentioned, running her hands through her hair.

"Why don't you come in dear. You must be freezing," Grandma Esme stated, not asking the questions we all wanted to as she walked over to the young woman, warmly inviting her into the home. Lizzie slightly flinched at her cold touch but reluctantly allowed herself to accept Esme's warmness.

"How does she know about us?" I demanded to my father in a monotone.

"I don't know how, but she does. It's hard to dig into her mind. Something's blocking me from reading her deep thoughts." He whispered back.

I frowned.

"Why is she scared?" Bella asked.

"I guess we're about to find out." Edward said, clearing his throat as he walked past us.

"Lizzie, it's Lizzie, am I correct?" Dad asked professionally. Lizzie nodded her head, pressing her lips together. "Why don't you take a deep breath and then you can tell us what brings you here, is that passable with you?"

She obliged to his suggestion, sucking in a deep breath and nodded her head.

"What's going on with all the frantic –" Jake stated as he came into view but stopped himself when he and Lizzie locked eyes.

Lizzie gave him a frown.

"You," She muttered, trying to confirm something to herself.

"Me." Jake replied nervously, his eyes ogling at her.

"You," She whispered, more aggressively now as she sent him a daggered glare.

Jake sighed in defeat. "Me…" He stated uncomfortably.

I'm missing something her, aren't I? I thought to myself, creasing a slight frown between my eyebrows. Did they know each other?

"Lizzie," He smiled slightly, and then turned to Edward. "I didn't know we had a visitor."

I turned to Lizzie who had the same flared glare in her eyes as she gave him a once-over.

"You guys know each other?" I asked rhetorically.

They didn't reply.

"Jake, you can deal with this later." Edward told him, probably reading his mind as he made his way over to my teacher. "Lizzie, what happened?"

"I um…" She paused, looking around the house, seemingly feeling out of place. "Someone…or should I say something's chasing after me. I-I don't know what but I know it's fast, like really fast." She told us.

I turned to my mother who eyed me as well. Our first initial thought was…

Vampire.

"Why is it chasing after you?" I asked as we entered the living room, where my uncles were previously occupying the TV and sat on the couches.

She shrugged. "I don't know, I was grabbing some food for my cat when I felt this weird feeling like I was being followed and to make matters worse, I was all by myself down at Oak, Springham Avenue. I rushed to my car and stumbled with my keys but managed to get in while I still could. I-I think that's when my car broke down –" She muttered the last part unsure of herself.

"Wait. When did your car break down?" Jasper questioned.

"In the middle of the road, I rushed out of the car and just ran, had no idea where I was really going." She said. "In the woods, I could feel that the same person had been following me, and it was fast! I needed to find a safe place, and here I am."

"How do you know who we are?" Rosalie demanded.

"Who told you about us?" Emmett interrogated.

"J-just ease back on the throttle," My dad urged his siblings and then turned back to Lizzie, holding her by her shaking hands, trying to soothe her. "Okay, so why don't we start from the beginning? How did you know where to find us? Who told you about who were are?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just freaking out," She chuckled nervously.

"It's okay," Bella said, giving her a smile.

Lizzie smiled back weakly, and then skimmed through the room, leaving her eyes on me.

"Are you all…you know…part of the supernatural world?" She asked us. "I-I mean, are you all…" She stumbled over the word, probably feeling not too comfortable to say it.

"Vampires? Yes." Dad replied truthfully.

Lizzie widened her eyes in shock. Was she shocked at the fact that we're vampires or at the fact that my dad just read her mind again? I don't know.

"Wait, how did you even know that?" Jake questioned.

"She didn't." Edward replied.

"Charles told me about supernatural creatures. He said that there are many who defy laws of nature, such as vampires."

"Who's Charles?" Seth asked from the couch, flipping the TV off and lifting up.

"Mr. Ainsworth," I replied.

"Your history teacher?" Jake questioned. I nodded my head.

"What else did he tell you?" Edward demanded.

"All he said that he knew of people like you. Feed off human blood, leaving trails of dead bodies. You run in covens or flee as loners; you hunt in the darkness, shy of showing yourselves in the light." She said. "When he told me about a family of blood bathers in this town, I didn't believe him. And then he told me about Renesmee," She said, glaring at me, her eyes literally piercing through my skin.

I baulked.

"Did he tell you he's on the same boat?" Jacob pointed out. Lizzie narrowed her eyes at him.

"He doesn't take human lives as his pleasure!" She fought back.

"How so sure are you, huh? Have you seen his eyes?" Jake questioned. "How much did he tell you about vampires?"

"He's not like you!" She defended.

"He seems to have brainwashed you." Jake said with a laugh.

"Jake, please," Esme urged.

"He told you that we're dangerous, right?" Edward asked. She nodded her head. "Then why did you come here then?"

"I don't know." She replied.

I frowned. She doesn't know?

"How did he know about us?" Jake questioned.

"He wouldn't say." She replied.

"Where is he now?" Bella asked.

Lizzie was quiet for a while.

"Lizzie we can't help you if you don't tell us anything." Edward urged.

"I don't know where he is." She frowned. It looked like she wanted to tell us but really didn't know what to tell us.

Edward sighed and turned to Bella who just shrugged her shoulders. It seemed like he couldn't get anything out of her mind either.

"How did you guys even meet anyway?" Emmett questioned.

"We met at a night club."

"I thought you met at school?" I pointed out.

"No." She replied.

I frowned.

"When did he tell you what he was?" Edward asked.

"The first night we met." She replied.

"He told you he was a vampire the first time you met and you weren't weirded out?" Seth questioned.

"He's not a vampire!" She argued.

I only deepened my frown.

"Honey, I understand that you must be in denial but –" Esme pointed out.

"I'm not in denial!" Lizzie stated.

"So if he's not a vampire then what is he?" Rosalie asked.

"An _angel_," Lizzie stated as if just the name was awe-worthy. Jake, Emmett and Seth couldn't contain their chuckles.

"An angel? Seriously?" Jake quizzed, his eyes skimming over to me, wriggling his eyebrows at me before turning back to the girl. "Is that what he told you?"

"It's what I saw!" She told him harshly. "He's not like you. I saw him in the light, his skin pale as a sheet, glistening in the sunlight. He's an angel!"

Does she actually believe he's an angel?

"I know you guys are looking at me like I'm crazy but I'm not. I saw! I saw him!" She stated, as she looked between all our confused looks. "I'm not crazy."

"Carlisle needs to be here," Esme brought up, looking at my father.

He nodded his head in reply.

"I'll call him." Jasper stated as he pulled his phone out.

"Lizzie," Edward sighed. Lizzie turned to him. "We understand."

"No you don't. Nobody does."

"Wait, you've told someone about this?" I asked.

"My friend, she thinks I'm a nutcase." She told me. "Listen, I don't even know why I came here."

"You came here because you needed help."

"Help with what? Charles loves me! He wouldn't hurt me! He would never hurt me." She stated.

"Where is he now then? If he loved you he'd tell you where he was." My aunt/godmother, Rosalie demanded. "He doesn't love you."

Lizzie just gritted her teeth together.

"What did he show you?" Dad asked.

"Everything," She replied. "His form, his feeding."

"Wait a minute," Bella questioned. "You're telling us that you believe he's an angel and a vampire?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." She grinned. "He told me I could be like him."

"That's not even possible," Seth murmured under his breath. "Is it?"

I frowned. This is messed up.

"You're not making any sense, Liz. How can he be both a vampire and angel?" Bella questioned.

"I don't know."

"Let me guess. He wouldn't tell you right?" I pointed out.

"Look, you can ask him yourself. I don't want to get into his business."

"Yet you want to be one of him?"

"I will do anything that lets me be with him forever." She mentioned. "I don't want the details."

"But you would want to know what you're getting yourself into right?"

"Charles said I shouldn't worry about it. Charles said I shouldn't ask questions. Charles said that I should trust him." She stated, praising every time she mentions his name.

"It seems like this Charles character is telling you what to do about everything." Dad said to her with a frown on his face. "Lizzie, why don't you head over to the kitchen whilst Esme, my mother makes you some tea?"

Lizzie nodded her head and looked up at my grandmother as she extended her hand out to her. The two suddenly disappeared.

My dad was the first to speak.

"I think he did more than just tell her to say these things to us. I think it's what he does." He added, looking at all of us.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I stood beside Jake's large, tall frame and looked at my dad inquisitively and hoping he'd elaborate.

"I think that's his ability." He said. "I think this man was able to compel her into thinking everything he wants her to believe."

"Compulsion?" Bella questioned. Edward nodded his head.

"Are you guys actually taking all the shit she's saying?" Jake asked us all. "How can a vampire have an ability to turn into an angel?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't heard of such a thing. I can't get a good read of him but I saw glimpse in her mind, she's not lying. Or maybe she really believes that it's real."

"Okay, anyone feeling a slight déjà vu?" I pointed out. "The whole thing with Nahuel's mother, Pire and, Joham, if I'm not mistaken, the woman believed the vampire was an angel."

"Yes. That's the initial thought you'd get when any human meets one of us but this is different." Edward said. "Something's blocking me from reading her mind, digging deeper to what's actually there and that's why I think she was compelled…" He said but trailed off when something seemed to have triggered in his mind.

"Don't you guys find it weird that we're talking to her when she doesn't even know who we are?" Bella pointed out.

She's right. We haven't introduced ourselves to her. I mean she knows who I am, and I'm assuming Jake as well but she doesn't know who my family actually is, and that we're not dangerous.

"She knows that we're vampires. I think that's all that matters." Rosalie said.

"Carlisle's on his way," Jasper stated as he entered the room. "Alice is on her way too, she sensed something was going on."

"So what are we supposed to do with this guy if we don't know where he is? We have a love-struck puppy who just wants to be a vampire/angel and he just hopped on a train to jackass weird town?"

"Hey! What do you think we should call him, an Anpire? Vangel it you will." Seth joked.

"Shut up," Edward stated.

"I was only just making a joke." Seth replied.

"No, I mean keep quiet and listen." Edward pointed out. "Do you all hear that?"

I frowned slightly as I tuned into my vampire hearing side. Lizzie and Esme came back into the room. One heartbeat belonged to Jake, another belonged to Seth, another to me, another to Lizzie. There were supposed to be four heartbeats but…I hear five?

All heads shot at Lizzie as she took a seat. She looked at all the confused faces.

"Why's everyone staring at me like I'm a ghost?" She laughed.

"Lizzie?" Edward said calmly. She frowned. "D-did you know that you're pregnant?" He said.

Lizzie deepened her frown but then gasped. "Oh yeah, I'm pregnant. I knew that. How did you know?"

My eyes bulged and I covered my mouth, expecting to gasp, scream or something but nothing came out.

"Carlisle needs to get here fast." Edward stated, pulling his phone out and dialing his number. Carlisle answered almost immediately.

"_Edward?"_ Carlisle said.

"Carlisle, you need to get over here fast. I think we have a major problem." He stated.

"_I'll be right there,"_ Grandfather replied before they both hung up on each other. Edward ran inhumanly fast to the office and came back. Lizzie's eyes were spread wide as she watched his movements, as if it were the first time she'd seen such a thing.

"We need to get her to the office."

"We'll get everything set up," Jasper and Emmett ran over to the other room to grab some things.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

"When did you find out you were pregnant?" Bella demanded as she went over to her side.

"Um…a couple of days ago, why?" She said.

"How many days?" Bella urged.

"Six or seven, I'm not sure." Lizzie replied.

"Oh god," Esme chimed.

"What's going on?" Lizzie questioned in absolute frantic.

I turned to Jacob who had a freaked out expression on his face. He looked worried, it's not really a look I haven't seen on him but it's not a look I enjoy on him at all. It involuntarily caused me to have the same expression.

"Does Charles know about this?" Edward questioned.

"I-I am not sure, I haven't told him yet." Lizzie stated. "Why?"

Edward didn't reply as he began pacing around the room in frustration. I've never seen my dad this frustrated.

"Do you want the baby?" Rosalie asked.

"Of course!" Lizzie demanded angrily. "I've always wanted children and now I can have one. I can just picture it. The baby has his skin, his hair, his eyes, his everything. We can all be a family."

Jake chuckled nervously, running his hand through his hair.

"Why does it seem like such a bad thing?"

"It's because it is, Lizzie." Edward stated. She frowned. He walked over to her. "Look, I understand that you want to have this baby but you can't."

"What do you mean I can't?" She retorted in irritation.

"You're going to die having it." He sighed.

She widened her eyes slightly, tears welling up in her eyes but she shook her head in denial.

"No." She said. "You're lying. I won't die."

"Look, Renesmee's my daughter, I'm Edward Cullen and this is Bella my wife."

"How is that possible, you look 17," She chuckled. "Oh, right, you're immortal."

"Listen that doesn't matter okay, my wife almost died giving birth to her." Edward said.

"She doesn't look dead to me." Lizzie said but then stopped herself. "Wait, you're telling me I'm going to die? This baby's going to kill me?" She questioned, now thinking rationally. "B-but…"

"Look, you don't have to die. We can help you." Bella said to her as she bent down to her length.

Lizzie was now crying, tears falling off her battered cheeks. She turned to my parents, looking at them for a while before releasing a sigh.

… …

Lizzie had been here for over two hours, my family decided to tell her about our stories. I guess that was a tool to let her warm up to us. When my dad got to the part where I came in, I walked out of the room. I didn't want to have that constant reminder that I was the one that almost killed my mother.

I entered the kitchen and poured myself a cup of juice.

"Don't you want something stronger?" I heard Jake's amazing voice reach my ears. I smiled as I took a sip of the drink which didn't help with my taste buds or thirst.

"If you can offer me something, that would be great." I stated. He laughed as he walked over to me.

"How are you doing with all of this?" He questioned as if he knew that I wasn't feeling all right.

"How am I supposed to feel about all of this?" I questioned. "My biology teacher/friend is pregnant with my vampire history teacher's baby."

"So I'm assuming, you're mildly all right?" He joked. I rolled my eyes, punching his hard chest lightly. "Look. I know how you feel. This is an unfortunate situation."

"I just can't help but feel like this is my fault." I told him. "If I should've just taken action, if I should've just told my family about it sooner, maybe she wouldn't be in this mess."

He shook his head. "No," He said, placing his large hand on my cheek, caressing it. "Don't you ever think that this is your fault. You wouldn't have known."

"Yeah but –"

"Nessie, just stop," He laughed. "You're too selfless for your own good. We'll get through this. Doc will do everything he can to save that girl. You have nothing to be worried about."

I managed to flash a small smile as I looked into his dark brown eyes. That's just Jake. He always finds a way to turn my frown upside down.

I immediately draped my arms around his waist and placed my head on his chest, breathing in his lovely musky scent.

"Okay, don't get ole mushy on me right now." He said, pulling away from the hug after a long while.

I chuckled as I pulled apart from him.

"Get some sleep," He said to me as he pinched the bridge of my nose before spinning around and walking back to the living room.

I watched him leave, eying his broad shoulders down to his behind. I shook my head and grinned widely.

… …

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, a lot went down. **

**The people who predicted that Lizzie was being chased and she got knocked up, congrats to you but I'm pretty sure none of you could've guessed what Mr. Ainsworth actually is right? Hehehe!**

**What do you guys think about the whole storyline I'm heading at? If you're enjoying it, tell me, if you hate it, tell me. If you hate and love it, go ahead a just tell me! Hehehe!**

**(Does anyone know how to make a wikia post? I want to make a page for this story, show you guys who I'd like play my characters and a few of my OC's backstory.)] **

**[Renesmee Cullen – Barbara Palvin/Leighton Meester]**

**Review! Follow! Favorite!**


	22. Chapter 22: Katie

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I went to school the next day. I'm even surprised I could even wake up after last night. I found out that not only is my biology teacher being chased after, but she got knocked up by a vampire/angel who happens to be my history teacher and that are family is being targeted by a new threat.

The family is taking precautions. My dad even wanted me to stay home today because he has this irrational fear that something's going to happen to me in a place filled with a thousand potential witnesses. I don't blame him though, but I can't let this affect my teenage experience.

As I walked through the doors, I immediately made my way to Charles' classroom.

**Mr. C. Ainsworth is off until further notice**

I rolled my eyes. I should've expected that.

There's something about him that's off and messed up. I mean everything about his is messed up but…there's just something else.

And I was intent in finding out what it was.

I rushed to the library/computer room.

"Hi. I came to research something?" I asked the Leroy, a senior who stood behind the main desk.

"Yeah, sure, follow me," He said as he paraded over to one of the computers. 1He punched in a code and pulled the chair out for me.

I smiled at him. "Thanks," I replied, taking a seat and placing my handbag on the desk, immediately tapping my fingers on the keyboard.

I hopped onto Google and began typing the name down.

C. Ainsworth.

I looked through all the options. There was a Christopher Ainsworth, Clayton Ainsworth, Crafter Ainsworth but absolutely no result of Charles Ainsworth.

Maybe if I just spell out the full name maybe that would help Nessie.

Charles Ainsworth.

No results at all.

That's totally not weird at all. He didn't have any record on the internet?

Although, I noticed something, instead of his name, another name popped up.

Nolan Konchalovsky.

My eyes widened when I saw an image of a man who had the exact same face as Charles Ainsworth, only this time it looked like he was in the late 1800s.

"Nolan Konchalovsky was a member of the army in 1898 – his death in 1901." I muttered. My eyes widened. "He was born in a small town in Bulgaria, to Lucian Nolan Konchalovsky II and Zokovis Patrova (nee) in 1880. He lost his life in one of the IED explosions, the knowledge of his death and the location of his body still remains a mystery." I finished off, as I continued scrolling through the information.

So does that mean that Charles Ainsworth was not only over one and a half centuries old, but that Charles Ainsworth isn't his actual name? He's not who he says he is.

The school bell went off, telling us to all get to class.

I slipped in my flash drive and downloaded all the information onto it. I made sure to delete all my tabs before hopping out of the chair and making my way to my first class which was Calculus.

After my first couple of classes, I made my way to the cafeteria where I grabbed some food and took a seat next to Alex.

"Hey," I smiled. She smiled back.

"Where were you this morning?" She questioned.

I frowned, but then realized what she was talking about. "Oh, uh, I was at the library doing some research."

"So I think my dad's onto me about you know that arrow thing." She told me.

"He knows?" I gasped.

"I don't know, but he keeps asking these questions and he looks like he needs it. I think it's starting to freak me out." She told me. I widened my eyes. "What do you think that arrow was? I mean it was able to burn a tree. That never happens, so what do you think my dad uses it for?"

I shrugged. "Hey, I knew nothing about bow and arrows until you told me."

She gnawed her bottom lip. "No. I think he's hiding something from me. Just the other day, he told me my mom's car broke down and needed a jumpstart. He had a bow and arrow in his hands. I then asked my mom about it and she told me her car had a flat tire. Don't you think that's weird? That I caught them both in a lie?"

"It's probably miscommunication,"

She shrugged. "I guess,"

I noticed Justin entering the cafeteria with Luke on his tail. He turned to me and I gave him a little wave. I expected him to wave back but he just continued walking, grabbing a seat over at a different table and hiding his face. I frowned.

"God, this food is so disgusting." She stated, regurgitating the food back onto the plate. She turned to my empty plate. "Why aren't you eating?"

"I'm not hungry." I told her. I wasn't lying. I haven't enjoyed much of food in a while, every time I eat something I just want to throw it up.

Rea Reed was sitting alone by the table opposite ours.

"Does Rea have any friends?" I asked Alex.

Alex followed my gaze and had a guilt look on her face.

"I don't know. I think she just doesn't want to let any people in." She said.

That's sad.

"Attention, attention all students!" Principal Philips stated. "This is your principal speaking –"

"No shit," Alex laughed.

"Shh," I told her.

"I'd like to point out that Mr. Goldstein is suspended for puking continuously on the Hurling bleachers which the janitors had to scrape out with European detergent. That's a lesson to you all that you shouldn't have peanut butter popcorn with fluoride toothpaste and jelly." He stated tediously.

I frowned. What the heck?

"On other news: Here are the nominees for the Junior Prom King and Queen." He began. "For Prom King: Hunter Hamilton, the twins, Aaron Park, Landon Park and Justin Mazzola."

We all applauded.

"The nominees for Prom Queen: Felicity Stone," I turned to Felicity and smiled at her. "Stephanie Templeton and _Renesmee Cullen_,"

Renesmee Cullen. Did he just say Renesmee Cullen? Am I Renesmee Cullen? Wait! Of course I am!

I'm nominated for Prom Queen?

"Well, well, look at you," Alex nudged me by the arm.

"Voting is open March, 7. Congratulations to all the nominees and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Alex scoffed.

"Everyone calm down," Principal Philip said. "Onto more somber news, I don't know if you all noticed but it's been exactly a year since we lost the life of one of our own students, Katie Anderson." He stated.

Alex's head shot up at the name.

"So today we're celebrating her legacy. You'll notice a line of pictures, memories of Katie all around the hallways. You can leave a message for her, saying how much she meant to you."

Alex turned her eyes over to Felicity who turned to her and drifted her eyes over to Rea who glanced over at Alex's way. They both had the same saddened expression on their face, as if they knew exactly how each other felt.

"Thank you for your time," Principal Philip said.

As if on cue, the dismissal bell for lunch went off. Alex and I got up and made our way to our next class which was Geography.

Geography classes weren't present because the school had still been looking for a teacher to fill in for the previous one. I guess today's the day we meet our new teacher.

She and I waltzed into the class and I couldn't hold it in anymore. I needed to know.

"Who was _Katie Anderson_?" I asked her.

Her breathing hitched at the mention of her name.

"Um…" She trailed off, trying to find where to start. "She was a sophomore, the most popular girl in school."

"More popular than Felicity?" I questioned.

She nodded her head. "When she died, she kind of took her place."

"Why did you guys all look at each other at the mention of her name, if you don't mind me asking. I mean, were you guys friends?"

She nodded her head. "Felicity, Rea and I were close friends, before we all drifted away."

"Why did you guys drift away?"

"Katie," She simply replied.

I frowned. "So you were all friends with Katie?"

"We were friends because of Katie," Felicity's voice appeared when she and Rea came into view, standing beside us. Felicity turned to Alex and gave her a slight smile, a smile I never expected from her because of her feud with Alex.

"Did you see all the posters around Oakland Woods?" Felicity asked her.

Alex nodded her head. "And the local news,"

"Even in her grave she's still the talk of the town." Rea stated, staring at the ground. The usually dark, pained Rea managed to flash a small smirk.

I was shocked. I mean, I thought the reason Alex and Felicity fought was because of their relationship with Hunter but I guess that's not the real reason. And Rea, I thought that she didn't have any friends, not, that she couldn't but I didn't expect her to let anyone in for that matter after losing so much. I guess people have their past secrets.

"How did she die?" I asked incredulously.

"Fire," Rea stated bluntly.

"She was presumed to have died in a fire. Her lake house burned down a year ago. We were celebrating her birthday there, just the four of us."

"She went missing that night," Felicity said. "We had no idea what happened to her, she told us she wanted to grab something in the house and that was the last time we saw her."

"Nobody knows what actually happened to her but the burning of the house was the safest bet." Alex stated.

"Didn't they find her body?" I questioned rhetorically. I mean sure, if she was in a fire than all she'd be was ashes but, come on, there had to be some remains, something that lead to their conclusion.

The girls all shrugged. "I guess, but we didn't want to look into it."

"It was just too much for us." Felicity said sadly.

I nodded my head. I could see that Katie meant so much to them, I mean if her name is able to bring them all together again then she must've been an important asset to their lives.

Felicity chuckled, lightening up the mood.

"I think we better get to our seats. The teacher will be here any minute," She stated. "Congrats on your prom nominee, Rens." She said to me. "Alex, better luck next time," She said condescendingly.

Alex gave her a fake smile.

I rolled my eyes and I smiled as we all drifted apart and took our seats.

The teacher waltzed into the room.

"Sorry I'm late for my first day," A deep voice reached our ears. I frowned. It sounded oddly familiar.

I looked up to see the back of a muscular man with cropped jet black hair, running his dark russet hand over the chalkboard.

"I'll be your new Geography teacher for the semester," He stated as he began writing his name on the board. "I know it's kind of late and all, but I'll be sure to get you all ready before your senior year. I'm new to this town but I can definitely keep up," He chuckled.

When he was done writing, he slowly spun around to face us all. I had to make a double take when I noticed who he was. My jaw dropped.

"I'm _Mr. Clearwater_," The sweet faced man grinned happily to the class. "But people call me the mix-master fun-nator. I'm joking, nobody calls me that."

Wait a minute! Wait a freaking minute!

Seth was my new Geography teacher?

His eyes seemed to have met mine but I wasn't too sure because I noticed his eyes widen.

"Holy crap!" He stated loudly as his eyes were transfixed on the girl sitting in front of me.

All heads turned to the oblivious girl.

Alex lifted her head up and frowned, and then she looked up to see Seth and I could feel her pulse picking up.

"Holy crap," She whispered to herself.

This is not good…

… …

The class ended rather quickly –and awkwardly – and I took that as an opportunity to walk over to Seth's desk.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded in a low tone. He looked up at me.

"I'm your new teacher. Isn't that great?" He asked me.

"Did my dad put you up to this?" I asked him.

"No!" He said quickly. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, yes, but there's a perfectly good reason for it. I needed a job anyway and he suggested I get a job here. He asked me to keep an eye out on this guy if he ever shows."

I rolled my eyes. I should've figured out my dad would go to such lengths.

"My dad is such an idiot."

"Actually it was Jacob's idea." He told me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Did he say this was Jake's idea? My Jake?

"Why?"

"He's worried about you." He said.

I frowned. Why was Jake worried about me? I must be angry that he was the one who triggered my father to be extra over-protective but I just smiled at the fact that he actually thinks of me.

"Okay, teach here but I think I'm the least of your worries." I told him as I turned to Alex who was shoving some books in her bag.

Seth sighed. "Yeah, I know." He told me. "Alex – I mean Ms. Mazzola." He called her. "You're dismissed Ms. Cullen."

I smiled. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"You have no idea." He replied.

I laughed and walked out of the class, watching as Seth shut the door so he could talk to Alex alone.

I was walking down the hallways when I caught Justin walking fast.

"Justin!" I called for him. He didn't turn to me and just continued walking fast. "Justin," I whispered as I began running to him. What was wrong with him?

"Just –" I trailed off when I watched him enter the boys' restroom and shut the door behind him. I frowned as I stood by the door.

I decided to just let it slide and made my way to my next class.

There was Hurling practice and Felicity and I were going to watch it go down whilst practicing our cheer.

"Hustle!" Coach Flak stated to the team with his whistle. "Your first real game starts this Saturday so you need to get your energy in and your butts fired up. We're going to play one-on-ones. Honderaz versus Nicholson, Mazzola versus Hamilton, and Fitzpatrick versus the bench," He said.

Everyone laughed and Luke rolled his eyes.

"Thanks Coach, I missed my girlfriend anyway," He said taking a seat on the bench.

"Okay, girls, let's practice." Felicity stated as she grabbed her pompoms and stood in front of all of us in her tights and cropped tank top which showcased her toned stomach and belly button ring.

I lost my focus when I noticed Justin wasn't all right. He looked agitated and aggressive. I don't exactly know what's wrong with him.

"Hey, Rens, focus!" Felicity pulled me out of my trance. "Okay, ready okay! Give me an H, give me a U, give me an R, give me an R, give me a I, give me a C, give me an A, give me a N, give me an E, give me an S. Hurricanes! Hurricanes!"

"This cheer sucks," A girl in the team whispered to me. I giggled and nodded my head.

"Ahh!" A loud scream appeared from the field and all the girls shot their heads and dropped their pompoms. We watched as Hunter fell hard to the ground.

I heard his spline crack and his shoulder break. The pain sounded excruciating.

We all ran over to the scene to see Hunter wailing so hard it was actually disturbing.

"Hunter!" Felicity shrieked as she ran over to her boyfriend's aid.

"It hurts like a bitch!" Hunter retorted as he shoved his helmet off his head.

"What happened?" Felicity cried.

"Mazzola," Dominic growled.

I turned my head to see Justin on the ground, with Luke trying to help him up. He was growling. He was actually growling. Luke helped him up and rushed him out of the scene.

I frowned. "Justin?" I said, about to run after him when Felicity called me.

"Renesmee, help me get Justin to the infirmary." She said.

"Yeah," I replied as I went over to Hunter's side.

… …

The day ended quickly despite the few events. I hopped into my car and pulled out the school lot. I had to stop though when a stream of cars stood in unison, and hooting at something simultaneously.

What was the hold up?

I slipped out of my car and decided to see what was going on. I noticed Ray Parker standing right in front of Luke's van and jamming his hands on it in frustration before falling to the ground.

I watched as Justin ran out of his truck and went over to him, lifting him up and began talking to him. For about five minutes, he helped the now pale as a sheet man –who when I met him had a lightly tanned tone – up and shoved him into Luke's van and he drove off.

I decided to run over to Justin since I was pretty sure he couldn't run away from me now.

"Hey," I said. He spun around. "What's happening? What's he doing here?" I questioned, referring to Ray who just drove off with Justin's best friend.

"Luke was just giving him a ride home. He got lost and his car kind of uh broke down in the middle of the woods. Long story, you wouldn't wanna know." He said.

"I thought you said you guys weren't friends." I told him.

"Not really, um, no," He said nervously.

I nodded my head. "What happened to you today? You've been avoiding me all day." I pointed out.

"No, I'm not," He chuckled awkwardly. "I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

I sighed. "Well we're still studying later right?"

He released a seethe-y sigh. "Actually something came up, maybe next time?"

I frowned. "Is something going on?"

"No!" He stated quickly. "It's not you, it's me! Nothing's wrong, it's just my mom, she's at the hospital…uh…don't worry about it." He told me.

I stared at him for a while. I don't know what he's hiding or why he's hiding it but I wasn't going to budge. Maybe it doesn't involve me.

"So we'll study next time?" He pointed out.

"Yeah sure," I replied.

He sighed in relief. "Thank you, you're the best," He said to me as he quickly kissed me on the cheek before running back to his truck.

I frowned and released a sigh as I went back to my car.

… …

Before heading back home, Felicity asked me to come over to the Oakland Woods Station Hospital to hang out with her whilst Hunter had his appointment with the doctor.

She and I were currently sat by the waiting chairs.

"Do you think Hunter's going to be okay?" I asked concernedly. Despite the fact that I think Hunter's a jackass and a cocky kissup; I never wanted him to get hurt.

"I hope so, the game's this Saturday and I do not want to be dating a captain of a losing hurling team." She told me.

I frowned.

"Anyway, so isn't it weird that both Ms. Maguire and Mr. Ainsworth have been AWOL for almost a whole week?" She pointed out.

I almost lost my ability to breathe at the mention of those two names. My granddad will have an appointment with Lizzie tomorrow and figure out what to do with the situation she's in. I'm still pissed that Charles would do such a thing, knock her up, drop her and leave town.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Do you think they eloped?" She said, getting her mind in the gutter. "Omigosh, those two are just so cute! They're literally my OTP,"

"What's an OTP?"

"One True Pairing, obvi!" She told me. I smiled slightly. "That Geography teacher though…"

"Who? Se –I mean, Mr. Clearwater?"

"He is like that hot, dorky, nerdy type. It's really cute."

"You do realize we're waiting for your_ boyfriend_ to come out of the doctor's office. Right?" I said.

She giggled at me as she slipped in her headsets.

Luke suddenly came into view and began talking to a nurse. He was about to head back when he caught me sitting with Felicity. He gasped.

"Hey, Renesmee," He chuckled nervously, waving at me. I smiled.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh me…uh-nub…nothing," He sniggered. "Just chilling. Chilling-a!" He laughed, but then stopped when he caught the sight of Felicity's face and he literally lost his ability to breathe.

The beautiful girl turned to me and muttered something I didn't catch, totally ignoring his presence.

I eyed him and nodded my head.

He frowned and shook his head, waving his hand. I rolled my eyes and gestured for him to talk to her. He shook his head. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Felicity," I smiled. "Someone wants to talk to you." I stated.

Luke narrowed his eyes at me and I giggled.

Felicity looked up and gave Luke a small smile.

"Who's this?" She whispered to me.

"Uh…hey, F-felicity," He sniggered fretfully. "It's Luke; I sit next to you in English?" He pointed out.

Felicity frowned.

"Uh…anywho, I mean anyway, uh…you know, I hope you're having a good day. I know Hunter didn't," He chuckled.

She glared at him.

He shook his head. "I mean, I'm sorry about that. I hope he doesn't die." He laughed. I shook my head.

Oh god.

"You looked really beautiful today, not that you didn't look great the other day, or the other day before that, or that other day before that other day." He stated.

This is not going well.

"I kind of always thought that you and I had this thing, this connection that was too hard to deny. Uhm…so there's this party this weekend after the match and I was hoping you-you'd g-go with um me?"

Felicity blinked at him.

"So, Rens, I was thinking that we should totally start shopping for prom dresses together!" Felicity told me.

I turned to her then turned back to Luke who had an extremely saddened and embarrassed look on his face. Dear god, I felt so bad for him.

"U-um, I'm gonna go now," He said, walking away.

I turned to Felicity.

"What a total weirdo. You know I hate seeing sophomores from school." Felicity mentioned.

"Felicity, he's a junior." I told her. "Just like us,"

"Was he?" She asked. "Oh. Anyway…" She sighed as she flipped her head to the side.

Hunter came out of the doctor's office, in a cast from his arm down to his wrist.

Felicity got up and shrugged her Gucci handbag over her shoulder.

"What did he say?"

"He said I had a separated shoulder and a fractured spline." Hunter groaned. "He said I'll heal soon."

"That better be before the game."

Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Did you get the shot?" She questioned.

"He said I shouldn't get addicted to it but one or two shots won't kill me." He said. "But otherwise, I'm good."

"You should get a shot right before the game too." She told him. He snarled at her. "The professionals do it all the time. Or are you trying to be the little high school slapdash, hmm? Do you want to be a pushover? Let all these little twit wannabes walk all over you? Or do you want to be on top? You choose." She warned him.

Hunter groaned and tapered his eyes at her.

"I want to be on top," He stated.

Felicity grinned. "That's why I love you." She smiled, as she gripped him by the shirt and pulled him into a deep, passionate, strong kiss. It was actually too much for me so I turned my head away.

"Rens, come on." She told me.

I got up and followed them when I bumped into one of the nurses.

I gasped. "God, I'm sorry,"

"It's okay, sweetheart." A beautiful woman with dark auburn skin with shoulder length curly black hair said to me. I smiled. "You're the nicest patient I've seen all day and you're not even a patient."

I chuckled. "I'm sorry again, Miss,"

I said, noticing her name tag saying Ms. Rodriguez.

"Don't worry about it." She smiled at me before we both went our separate ways.

I could hear her talking to someone.

"What did I tell you about running down the hospital halls?" She questioned.

"Mom," A familiar voice reached my ears. I frowned as I spun around to see Justin talking to her.

I frowned.

"No, no, no. For that, you're paying for dinner." She said. Justin groaned and turned around like a five year old, as he and his mom walked out of the hospital.

He told me his mom's at the hospital and I'm think something bad happened to her but she look fine to me.

Weird…

… …

**A/N: How did you like this chapter? I'm currently bringing in all the girls together because I love girl power. **

**So Justin's being weird? Can you all guess why? Do you think Nessie will let it slide or will she let him go? Review all your thoughts and thank you for the reviews.**

**[Alex Mazzola – Shay Mitchell**

**Felicity Stone – Emily Bett Rickards **

**Rea Reed – Willa Holland**

**Justin Mazzola – Robbie Amell**

**Luke Fitzpatrick – Grant Gustin**

**Hunter Hamilton – Nolan Gerard Funk]**


	23. Chapter 23: Teacher

**SETH'S POV **

It's good to be back in High School. I miss being around all my people, strutting my stuff down the hallways. It's a good feeling.

"Mr. C!" Lance greeted me, lifting his hand up for a high five.

"Hey, yo!" I retorted, raising my hand up but immediately dropping it. "Too slow," I grinned, slapping his face lightly.

It's only been over two days and I love being here so much.

"Hey Mr. C…" A bunch of senior girls giggled as I walked past. I smiled back politely.

It feels good to be acknowledged. It feels good to be a teacher. I never thought I'd be one in my entire 21 years of existence. It wasn't like teaching a bunch of teenagers was my long-life dream but it's pretty cool. I always thought of myself as a baseball person but teaching isn't so bad.

Not only do I get to see teenagers making stupid decisions, making fart jokes, and looking out for my favorite hybrid, Nessie but I get to see my reason for existing every day, which is a major plus!

Alex and I have been going really strong. I am in love with her, which I assume would be expected when you imprint on someone, but really, if that wasn't the case, I'd think I'd still be smitten. Everyone says we're complete opposites, maybe they're right, but every time I'm around here, I see a different side of her. She may put on a tough girl act, but I know who she really is, and I love that about her. But she has a mouth on her that really turns me on too.

I still haven't told her about the whole werewolf/imprint thing yet. It's not like I'm waiting for a specific moment or anything, I just don't know where to start. 'Hey, babe, I'm a werewolf and I claimed you as mine forever the first time I saw you. So are we up for movies later on?'

Um…no…

Jake told me to approach it in a subtle way. Yeah, right, like I should take advice from someone who's too wimpy to even talk to a girl who happens to be his mate. Maybe he should take his own advice and stop shoving it down my throat!

He's right, though. I need to approach it in a way she'd understand. I mean she's a human and has no knowledge of the supernatural world.

It's hard enough now that she's quite agitated at the fact that I'm teaching at her school and teaching one of her classes. Okay, let me rephrase maybe she's pissed rather than agitated.

I reached my classroom.

I released a sigh as I shut the door behind me. I spun around to see Alex standing in the center of the room with her books placed against her chest, dressed in a wavy black blouse, some really smoking bum shorts, and combat boots with her hair let down her shoulders.

"Whoa…" I muttered, eying her up and down but cleared my throat as I dropped my Nike bag on the ground and placed my jacket on one of the desks. "W-what are you doing here?"

She released a reluctant sigh before replying.

"Um…" She cleared her throat. "I came here to talk to you about transferring out of your class."

I inhaled a deep breath as I stared into her hazel brown eyes. I cleared my throat after a while.

"Uh…I understand where you're coming from Alex but…" I paused. "I'd really like it if you stayed in the class."

Her sad face was poignant.

"This is not an easy decision, _Seth_." She said to me. "But I think it's the mature thing to do."

"I can always try keeping my feelings in check." I suggested. It pained me to be away from her almost all day now I have to bare another hour? I can't.

"I can't!" She chuckled. "I wouldn't even want to try even if I could." She told me. "I can't just here and pretend like I don't know you and call you Mr. Clearwater. It's just too hard for me."

"You can't even try?"

Alex shook her head. "No. I don't want to have another teacher to hate when in fact, I really like him. Like a lot, a lot!" She laughed. "So, will you sign it?"

I sucked in a deep breath as I watched her pull out a transfer form. She handed it over to me. I took it but not moving my eyes from her.

"Are you sure about this?" I questioned, making sure that she has no regrets but technically, I'm referring the question to me. Will I hate it? Most definitely but if this was what she wanted, I'd give it to her.

She nodded her head reluctantly. "Positive,"

I deepened my gaze on her, seeing any signs that would tell me not to sign this paper right here right now.

I sighed as I pulled my pen out of my shirt and began jotting my signature down. I handed the page back to her. She gave me a small smile as she looked up at me.

"Thank you," She replied, walking past me.

Before she could head out, I ran over to her, shutting the blinds of the door and laid my hand on her hip. She looked up at me in confusion. I pulled her in and planted my lips on hers in a fervent kiss. I held her face in my hands as I deepened the kiss. She gripped my shirt as she got on her tiptoes.

I pulled away to smile down at her, stroking my hand through her hair and caressing her soft skin.

God I love this girl so much.

She smiled back as she rubbed her forehead in my neck for a second before pulling away, unfurling the door and disappearing almost instantly.

I sighed.

This was not going to be easy.

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

I was scrolling through all my photos when I reached one of the million pictures I had with Nessie. It was a recent picture I took with her.

I smiled.

"Did you tap that yet?" Mike asked me as he eyed my screen. I dropped my phone and heard him laugh. I kicked him in the gut. "Dude,"

Nessie went to school this morning. Edward and I were anxious about that, ever since we heard about the killings, we were afraid something would happen to her and now that there's a vampire on the loose, we needed to take action.

Seth was our safest bet.

Eddie and I managed to convince him to take up the opening at Oakland Woods High. He needed a job anyway; he wasn't cribbing with me for free.

I'm sure Nessie won't be too thrilled to hear about this but it was for the best.

"No. I'm not like your hormonal halfwits who always think about girls' asses and throwing up." I told him.

"Hey. It's been slow in that department; I haven't been sexually active since last month." Mike told me.

"And that's a long time?" I asked.

"For me it is."

"Jake, don't listen to this dick head. If you want to wait, I say go for it. It's not like she doesn't have boys lining up her window for a glimpse at her coming out of the shower." Dave stated.

What?

"Dude, I don't know why you're not making the first move yet. No, let me rephrase. I don't know why you're not snatching babes yet? All the girls would wanna date you. Heck, I would date you!" Mike said.

All the guys agreed.

"It's not just that, her dad's not particularly the nicest guy also. It's hard to even approach her without him always on my back." I told them.

"Then screw the dad!" Dave retorted as he twisted the fuel pump of the car. "Hold this," He said, handing it to me. "My girlfriend Tracy's dad gave me a tough time but I didn't care. Look at us now,"

"Tracy's been in New York since her dad kidnapped her." The usually quiet Bobby reminded him.

Dave frowned. "My point is, take the opportunity man. You only live once,"

Yeah with Edward Cullen around, I'd like to live longer.

I sighed. "When's the barbeque cookout again?" I questioned, changing the subject.

"Next Saturday. And bring a date, it's mandatory." Dave told me, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Preferably a nice, hot, redhead with nice pale skin and a cute smile,

"I'll keep that in mind." I said, rolling my eyes. Although, I did like the thought, I'd probably have to pass on that offer. "And she's bronze," I corrected him as I walked over to my bag to grab my phone.

"Uh oh! Uh oh! Girlfriend alert!" I heard Mike tease, making kissy noises and the guys' laughter in the background.

I pulled my phone out to see a bunch of messages from Edward.

_We got a scent of the vampire whilst hunting an hour! Jasper and Emmett set out to find it.___**-12:33**

The one message said. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Is she texting to see if her big bear is all good?" Dave joked.

"Dude, she's a teenager." Mike corrected him.

I scrolled down to the next message.

_You need to get Lizzie over here. We don't know if this vampire is just rouge or the man we're looking for. The only way to keep her safe is if she's with us.___**-12:35**

I rolled my eyes. Why must I do it?

A new message popped up.

_I need you to do this right Jake. I don't care about this feud you and Lizzie have. You two will just have to put your differences aside. There are more important things to worry about__**.**_ He lectured in his text.

I rolled my eyes and shoved my phone back into my backpack.

"I think I'm heading out, guys," I sighed as I grabbed a cloth and wiped the grease off my hands.

"Oh so you can perform your conjugal duties with your girlfriend." Dave laughed.

Mike shook his head. "Shut up, dude."

"What?" Dave shrugged his head.

"They're not even married yet." Mike said.

"Yet! That's very important." Dave stated. "Don't you guys feel like getting donuts?"

"Shut up, Dave!"

I walked out of the shop quick enough to hear them continue bickering,

I hopped into my car and began driving over to my apartment to take a quick shower before hopping back into my car and headed over to Lizzie's house.

As I stopped at a red traffic light, five minutes away from her house, I drifted off to the memory of that night she came over to the Cullen's for help and not to mention finding out about her pregnancy.

"_**So that's how Nessie came into the picture." Bella finished off the impossibly long story about the journey that she and Edward shared in their 'forever' as she calls it.**_

_**Carlisle's sent immediately lingered in the air and he appeared into the room soon after. **_

"_**Good evening," He greeted, as he set his briefcase on the ground. Esme got up and went over to her husband with a sad facial expression. "What seems to be the problem?"**_

_**Edward stood up and stepped aside, placing Lizzie in full view. Carlisle released a slight frown when he saw the freaked out, distraught young woman.**_

"_**Carlisle, this is Lizzie." Esme introduced.**_

_**Carlisle smiled.**_

"_**I didn't know we were expecting a visitor." Carlisle pointed out.**_

"_**We weren't." Nessie replied. **_

"_**But that's not the reason why she's here." Edward stated. He took a glimpse at the girl before sighing and turning back to Doc. "I think we have a problem."**_

_**Carlisle stared at his son in confusion, yet he managed to show an expectant expression, as if he knew where this was going.**_

_**We explained everything to Doc. From how Nessie knows Lizzie, the Ainsworth drama, the compulsion –which confused me even more – to how she's currently carrying with what would assume to be a vampire/angel/human hybrid. There's a combination I would never thought I'd come across with before!**_

_**It was as if the shocking revelation struck a chord in the older blonde vampire. He couldn't keep his pants on long enough to learn more about this potential freaky creature. **_

"_**Okay, Lizzie. Lie down on the bed." He told the girl. She obliged and hopped onto the hospital bed that was in his office. "I'm going to ask you a series of questions. I hope you're comfortable with that?" He pointed out.**_

_**She nodded her head. "I guess."**_

_**Carlisle nodded his head, his lips pressed together in a thin line. **_

"_**When did you start feeling under the weather?" Doc questioned as he began rummaging through his medical supplies.**_

"_**Um…about maybe one, maybe two weeks ago." She replied truthfully.**_

_**Carlisle nodded, pulling out a huge machine and placing it beside the bed. **_

"_**And what did you deduce from those symptoms?" He questioned, getting into the medical zone. I rolled my eyes.**_

"_**I thought I was just coming down with the flu. Which is weird because my immune system was always great," She said.**_

"_**So you never got ill?" Edward injected.**_

_**Lizzie shook her head. "The last time I was sick was probably when I was fifteen."**_

"_**How old are you now?" Seth demanded quickly. We all glared at him. "Sorry."**_

"_**Well," Doc sighed as he took a seat on his chair after setting up the huge machine. "It's pretty normal for some humans not to ever get sick. Their Immunity is working incredibly well." He said, wheeling over to the machine and began pressing on buttons. "Edward, may you assist me with the IV?" Carlisle asked the mind-reader.**_

_**Edward nodded as he went over to Lizzie and began placing some tubes on her arm. **_

"_**Lizzie, may I ask when your last sexual encounter was?" Carlisle questioned.**_

_**Everyone's heads shot up and the whole room fell silent. I released a light cough.**_

"_**I guess he just went for it, huh?" I chuckled. Nessie gave me a light punch in the stomach with her elbow.**_

_**Lizzie was immediately embarrassed as the question came up –which I would've expected if anyone asked you about your sex life. She looked up at Edward.**_

"_**Just go with it. These are one of the questions he needs to ask his patient. It's a routine checkup." He smiled at her.**_

_**She exhaled a heavy breath.**_

"_**Well about nineteen days ago." She said, her cheeks burning.**_

"_**Man," Seth whispered.**_

_**Carlisle nodded his head as he pulled out this weird-looking object which kind of reminded me of an old toy microphone or a foot massager. **_

"_**May you lift your shirt up, please?" Carlisle asked. Lizzie obliged and lifted her slightly flat stomach. "Okay, I'm going to place this gel-like liquid. Be aware, it's cold." **_

"_**I've felt way colder things than this." She said, eying the Cullen's cheekily. I laughed lightly.**_

_**Carlisle smeared the gel on her stomach and began running the 'foot massager' all around.**_

_**A weird blurry image came into view on the small screen of the machine. **_

"_**I'm giving you an ultrasound." He stated, moving the object around and fixing his focus on the screen. He had a perplexed look on his face.**_

"_**What do you see?" Lizzie questioned.**_

"_**Nothing," Carlisle stated, releasing a sigh. "Just as I expected,"**_

_**Bella and Edward sighed, knowing very well how frustrating this is,**_

"_**What do you mean nothing? Are you saying there's nothing in me?" Lizzie questioned in confusion.**_

"_**No. The fetus is there, although I can't see it through your skin. I experienced the same thing with Bella's pregnancy. I was hoping maybe this would be different." He replied, pulling the object away from Lizzie's stomach.**_

_**Edward handed her a cloth to wipe away the leftover gel.**_

"_**Why couldn't you see the baby?" Lizzie stated.**_

"_**The baby," Edward said. "The fetus is growing way too fast; it's not compatible with your body. The same revelation occurred when Bella carried Nessie. The fetus is somehow blocking us with your skin." Edward stated.**_

"_**How can it do that? How is that possible?" Lizzie exclaimed, shockingly.**_

"_**It's what makes them special." Rosalie smiled. "And I thought we all got over medical terms like 'fetus' or 'it'. There is a life in there you know!" She pointed out, eying both Carlisle and Edward.**_

"_**Rosalie, please?" Edward pleaded impatiently, rolling his eyes.**_

"_**Rose's right. It may sound weird but that just shows how extraordinary they are." Bella smiled, nudging her daughter's arm. Nessie smiled slightly but didn't spread. I could feel her nerves and emotions. She wasn't close to being okay.**_

"_**Okay. You're right, this is weird." Lizzie breathed.**_

"_**I'm just going to have to use another method, if that's alright with you?" Carlisle asked.**_

"_**What's the other method?"**_

_**Carlisle pulled out a long pink object that had a tip shaped like a match. Lizzie frowned.**_

"_**What is that?" **_

"_**This is a Transducer probe. It's another method of an ultrasound. It's what gynecologists use to locate any strange appearances in the female's anatomy." He stated. "It's also used to determine the sex of the baby and the gestational period of a woman's pregnancy."**_

"_**Okay. When you say in the female's anatomy…?"**_

"_**I mean vaginal walls." Doc stated.**_

_**My eyes widened. "Wait, wait…you're going to stick that thing up her…?" I questioned but trailed off because the thought was way too sickening. I gagged.**_

"_**Only if you're comfortable with it?" Carlisle questioned.**_

_**Lizzie gulped.**_

"_**I-I think the men need to leave the room." Esme mentioned.**_

"_**Good thought," I stated.**_

"_**I'm one step ahead of you," Seth stated as he, Edward and I left the room whilst the girls stayed in the room.**_

_**Nessie decided not to stay and walked out with us.**_

"_**Hey," I called Nessie out as she walked past me. She spun around. "Are you okay?"**_

_**She nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, trying to sound convincing. I raised an eyebrow. "I-I'm just weirded out by this, s'all."**_

"_**Yeah, who wouldn't be?" I questioned rhetorically. **_

"_**Do you think she's going to keep it?" Nessie asked me.**_

_**I shrugged. "I don't know. I think that's up to her to decide."**_

_**She sighed. She took a step toward me and suddenly draped her arms around my waist, placing her head on my chest. **_

"_**I'm scared," She whispered.**_

"_**Hey, don't be." I told her. "Everything's going to be okay,"**_

**END OF FLASHBACK**

So after an hour of waiting, Carlisle came out of his office and told us that the whole transducer probe ultrasound wasn't as success as well but managed to determine how far along she was. She found out she was pregnant seven days ago, and he compared the dates of Bella's pregnancy and came to a conclusion that she could be one and a half to two months pregnant at the least.

She was of course completely freaked out by it and literally passed out on her hospital bed. To be fair, it was . But before she did, Carlisle and Esme put on their courteous caps and told her to take her time in deciding whether or not she wants to go through with it or not, and to help with the process they invited her over to stay for a while, for safety purposes.

Lizzie told them she'd think about it so I guess she decided.

I stopped by the small townhouse near Lake County to see her standing with a luggage and a handbag.

I stopped by and lowered down the window.

She was confused as to who I was until she finally gave me the glare.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick you up." I told her.

"No. Edward's supposed to pick me up." She said stubbornly as she crossed her arms together.

"So you're going to wait out here in the cold, wait for someone who's not coming?"

"Yep. It's better than being in a car with a jackass who says he'll call but never does! A jackass who leaves me stranded at a bar waiting for him for more than five hours looking like an idiot! So yeah, I'll take my chances." She told me.

"Alright, if you say so," I told her as I started the car and drove off. I turned left and then right, then left again, then right again for about seven minutes until I stopped by the sidewalk.

"I know you hate me and I'm sorry. But you can't hate me for saving you from the cold. Are you going to get in or not?" I questioned.

She contemplated for a minute before releasing a sigh. I hopped out of the car, grabbed her luggage and shoved it in the trunk and hopped back into the drivers' seat.

"Thanks." She said to me sternly, although I could hear the kindness in her tone.

"Sure, sure," I told her and drove off.

… …

**A/N: Review! Follow! Favorite!**


	24. Chapter 24: Messed Up

**RENESMEE'S POV**

**_I waltzed into the big Cullen house to the sound of commotion coming from upstairs. There was a certain level of uncertainty in the tone of the house, which lead me to my frazzled state._**

**_I ascended up the staircases until I reached the upstairs living room where I saw all my family members muddled, disturbed expressions and angry voices._**

**_"_****_What's going on?" I announced myself, but nobody bothered._**

**_"_****_How could the vampire just get away?" My mom questioned, running her hand through her long, wavy locks._**

**_"_****_I don't know, but he just did."_**

**_"_****_What vampire?" I questioned._**

**_"_****_We were right on his tail, well not literally because we didn't exactly know where he was but his scent was close and then bam! It just disappeared and we lost him." Emmett stated, panting heavily just for effect even though as a vampire that would be unnecessary. _**

**_"_****_Where is Jacob?" Edward sighed as he waltzed into the room. My father was the first person to take notice of my presence. "Nessie, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"_**

**_"_****_Free period, I thought I'd just grab my gear for practice afterschool –uh – What's going on? Why is everyone frantic?" I demanded, placing my car keys on the coffee table._**

**_"_****_We caught of a scent of a lone vampire," Jasper told me._**

**_My eyes bulged. "You found him…or her?" I frowned._**

**_"_****_Yes, until we lost it again." Emmett sighed. "I need a drink." He sighed. "Mommy dearest, could you be so kind as to pour me a nice, warm cup of blood?"_**

**_"_****_You can get your own food, thank you, Emmett." Esme stated sternly, frowning at his choice of topic at a grueling time like this._**

**_I furrowed my brows._**

**_"_****_Honeybees, I'm home!" We all heard Jake's husky voice echo in the house._**

**_"_****_Thank god!" Bella sighed. _**

**_Why is everyone happy Jake is home? That's never been the case before! _**

**_As Jake ascended up the stairs and I could hear his lovely heartbeat thud calmly, although, I didn't quite get past the two other heartbeats following his._**

**_"_****_Hey, guys!" Jake entered, grinning widely._**

**_"_****_What the heck took you so long, you lowlife dog?" Rosalie growled._**

**_"_****_I missed you too, Blondie sweet cheeks," Jake winked._**

**_A girl emerged from behind, and I got to see that that girl wasn't just a girl. It was Lizzie._**

**_What is she doing here?_**

**_"_****_Lizzie. We're so glad you came." Edward smiled warmly. I noticed that Carlisle wasn't in the room. He was probably at the hospital._**

**_She smiled weakly. "So where is Carlisle?" She asked._**

**_"_****_He is stuck at the hospital but he says he'll be here in a jiff." Grandma Esme stated. Lizzie nodded her head. "Do you need anything?"_**

**_"_****_I don't mean to sound pushy or anything, but I could really use something to eat." Lizzie said awkwardly. Esme smiled warmly._**

**_"_****_Of course," She smiled. "We'll just get you settled in and then I'll prepare something for you." She said, walking over to the young woman and affectionately headed her up the stairs._**

**_"_****_Did you catch the leech?" Jake sighed. Edward shook his head._**

**_"_****_No. We lost him." He said. "Apparently it's even more daunting to catch a lone vampire than it was convincing The Volturi that we're not guilty." He chuckled, although not humorously. "I have a slight hunch that the vampire's ulterior motives were to lure us to him so that we had hope of catching him and then ultimately trapping us in a disorientated state."_**

**_"_****_Meaning, this vamp basically just played with our asses?" Emmett stated._**

**_"_****_How can he do that, especially on his own? Ever heard of safety in numbers? Didn't he know that basically a whole coven could be chasing after him?" Jake asked._**

**_"_****_He surely could've but maybe that was his plan. To get us when we least expected, before striking. So he probably knew that not all of us were following him so he made a run for it."_**

**_"_****_What was he after?" I asked._**

**_"_****_Our first assumptions were he'd wanted a place to feed or he had something else in mind, but then we thought maybe it had to do with a certain young lady that he was connected to."_**

**_"_****_So that's why Lizzie's here?" I asked, but making more of a statement. The vampire could be after Lizzie, so she would be safer with us._**

**_"_****_Precisely," Dad said._**

**_I sighed and shook my head. "Intense," I said._**

**_"_****_So what do we do now?" Jake questioned._**

**_"_****_I guess we just stay on the lookout for any potential threat that comes if may and keep Lizzie safe." Edward said._**

**_"_****_That's the only thing that matters," Bella said, nodding her head._**

**_"_****_But first, she's got a big decision to make." Rosalie pointed out._**

**_And I think I know what that might be._**

**_… …_**

Lizzie had been staying at my family's house for the past day or so. She's still creeped out at the fact that she's sleeping in a house with six vampires. Who wouldn't be?

My parents and I visit them for a couple of hours until we go back to our house. Tomorrow Lizzie will decide what to do with the baby. I overheard my mom and dad talking about how late it must probably be to terminate the pregnancy. I can't imagine killing a living thing but there are situations where it's life-threatening and this is one of those situations. I know my mom, Rosalie and Grandma Esme are against killing it but it's not there decision, its Lizzie's.

Does it make me selfish if I don't want to see my friend die?

I don't need to worry about this today. I shouldn't worry about this today. I'm supposed to be at school, currently listening to a math lesson I already know. The teacher jotted something on the board and called a bunch of us to solve the problem.

Solve + = 0

X = b

X =

X = 0r X =

X = -2 or X = -3

Give a formula of the Fourier series.

"Well done, Ms. Cullen. You solved your problem." Mr. Gregory stated.

Huh! Not even close. I thought to myself.

The dismissal bell ringed in the air and all of the students began clearing up their desks and heading up almost immediately. As I walked out of the class, I watched as Alex exited out of Seth's – I mean 'Mr. Clearwater's' classroom with a huge grin on her face. I frowned but managed to smile. I made my way over to Felicity who stood by her locker, jamming her fingers on her phone.

"Hi," I greeted her.

"Hello, sweetness" She grinned, and drifted her focus from me over to a girl passing by. She scoffed "I'm all for boob jobs, but when I see those, I want to moo." She giggled.

I rolled my eyes. I gestured for Alex to come over.

"Hey," She greeted, with the same grin she had plastered on her face. I smiled.

"Hi. Had a good talk with Mr. C?" I teased. She narrowed her eyes at me and I laughed.

"Uh…Hey, Felicity," She greeted awkwardly. Felicity didn't reply. "Look, Felicity, I've just realized this whole feud is stupid. Let's just let this pass and grow from it, move forward."

Felicity lifted her head and stared at Alex with confusion.

"Why?" She questioned.

"We're not kids anymore, _Lecity_." Alex stated, consuming a sobriquet I presumed she bequeathed to her a while back.

Felicity seemed slightly fazed at this.

"You know what? You're right." Felicity said, shutting her locker. "What were we thinking?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "It's not like you didn't try to steal my boyfriend or anything. Let's just let that pass huh? Bury the hatchet? I can do that."

Alex rolled her eyes. "For the last time, I didn't try to steal your boyfriend. He made the move on me!"

"Tell that to the next boyfriend you steal from. Rens, you better watch out for this one." Felicity stated before waltzing away from her.

Alex groaned and turned to me. "You know what? I try. But she's just…" She stopped herself.

"I know. I'm sorry." I gave her a sympathetic look.

"Why would I want to steal my brother from you?" She probed rhetorically but then. "I can't anymore." She sighed.

I smiled. "At least you tried, that requires some huge guts and maturity on your part." She stated.

"And I wouldn't have if Seth didn't encourage me to. Ugh! Now I have a reason to kick his ass." She stated. "If it wasn't for him persisting I should bury the hatchet –"

"Wait. Seth told you to approach Felicity?"

"Can you believe it? Such a saint in that guy. I hate it." She joshed. I giggled. She called.

The gothy girl spun around and smirked, making her way over to Alex.

"Alex." She nodded.

"Want to grab a drink later?" Alex suggested.

"Yeah, sure," Rea replied.

"Ness, you in?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, sure, but I'll only have a cocktail."

"Of course, the good girl gets what she wants." Alex teased with an eye roll. I laughed..

"I gotta get to class," I told them as I gave Alex a hug and Rea a fist bump, spinning around and making my way to my class.

… …

It was afterschool and I was currently jogging around the track with the junior and senior class girls. This was one of the tortures of cheerleading with Coach Hoffman.

"Pick up the pace! Pick up the pace! Come on! Even my grandmother can run faster than that! And she's dead." She stated. "Is that what you want? To run like my dead grandmother?"

"No!"

"Then lift your butt cheeks off the ground and get your legs a-working! Come on!" Coach retorted.

Felicity scoffed, as she and I picked up the pace. "Did you hear about the body found in one of the bathroom stalls at the mall last night?"

"There's another one?" I questioned.

"Yeah, I think the count is twelve or thirteen." She told me. I frowned. "Anyway, so what are you doing this weekend?"

"Nothing,"

"Great. So you're coming to a college party with Hunter and me, right?"

"Don't you ever get tired of all these parties?" I chuckled.

She pulled her sucker out. "Nope," She said, popping it back in. I rolled my eyes. "And you can bring any guy you want."

"Who else would I bring besides Justin?" I asked.

"Oh, Renesmee," She said, shaking her head. I frowned. "You don't know, do you? Such an amateur,"

"Know what?"

She sighed. "You put out without actually putting out."

I blushed. "No, I don't."

She tapered her eyes forward and grinned. "I spy a Justin," She hummed.

I focused my gaze forward to see Justin jogging his way over to me from the field with all his Hurling teammates.

"Hi," He said to me, halting when he reached me. I paused and watched as the girls past by me.

"Uh...hi," I replied.

"You've been avoiding me all day, what's up?" He asked me.

I chuckled. "Well, I thought you were busy, which has been regular for a while now,"

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry." He sighed. "I-I'm just caught up with studying, Hurling and…" He paused. "I want to make it up to you."

I smiled weakly. "Well, Alex, Rea and I are going to some bar later on tonight. Come," I said.

He contemplated.

"I don't know," He replied.

"Come on. If you came with, it'd make me really happy."

He chuckled. "I was actually thinking you and I do something else tonight. How about a picnic at the skate park?" He suggested.

I grinned. "The skate park?"

"Yeah, I can show you some of my mad skills and how to fall off the bird." He pointed out. I giggled.

"Um…yeah sure," I smiled. "I'll meet you there." I told him.

"Uh…little Miss Snazzy Pants, this is no time for romancing with Mr. David Schwimmer. Chop chop!" Coach Hoffman told me.

"Yes, Coach," I replied, smiling at Justin before following the crowd.

… …

I made it to the old skate park where I waited for Justin to come at around 7pm. I dialed his number.

_"__Justin Mazzola here, I'm not available at the moment but you know what to do,"_ His voicemail mentioned.

"Uh…hey! It's me. I just wanted to tell you that I'm here! Uh…just give me a call when you get this." I said, hanging up almost immediately.

I placed the picnic basket on the ground and took a seat on the ledge of the old, hollow pool. I began swaying my legs in boredom as I waited for Justin to call back.

And I waited…

And I waited…

And I waited…

For almost one and a half hours!

I dialed his phone number for probably the seventeenth time.

_"__Justin Mazzola here, I'm not available at the moment but you know what to do," _

"Hey, where are you?" I demanded. "Just curious, because I've been waiting for almost two hours." I laughed nervously. "I'm wondering if I should just go or –You know what? Just forget it," I said sadly. I shook my head and dropped the phone and ran my hand through my ringlets. I sighed as I got up, grabbed the picnic basket and left the abandoned skate park.

I shut the trunk of my car after slipping the basket in and hopped into the drivers' seat. I placed my hands on the steering, staring into the distance for a while. Why would Justin blow off our date? Well, I don't know why I'm not surprised. He's been blowing things off a lot lately.

I grabbed my phone from my handbag and scrolled down to Alex's name and began texting her.

**_Hey. You're still at the bar?_**

She replied a second later.

**_Yepo! _**

I sighed.

**_Order something for me, I'm on my way._**

I rolled my eyes as I threw my phone back into my bag. As I went to slip my keys into the ignition, I heard the sound of the ruffling of leaves coming from the bushes.

My head shot up and I scanned the abandoned area.

Something didn't feel right. It felt like I was being watched.

It's so dark, I couldn't see a thing.

Suddenly, out of the blue, I watched as a dark, rapid gush of wind pass by my car causing it to move lightly. I darted my head to my window.

Now I definitely feel like I'm being watched!

I need to get out of here fast.

I slipped my key into the ignition and turned my headlights on before driving out of the vacated place.

… …

I reached the local bar, '_Burst_'. It's this awesome bar that everyone from school had been buzzing about. I waltzed into the incredible upbeat and loud bar, skimming through the crowded room for my friends.

"Nessie!" Alex called from me from the bar counter where she and Rea were laughing together. I walked up to them.

"Glad you could make it!" Alex stated and then grabbed the drink that was beside her. "Ah, here you go. A non-alcoholic Cranberry Rosemary Refresher Cocktail." She said, handing it to me.

"Thank you," I said, chugging it down my throat until it was completely empty. I stared down at Alex's drink. "Can I?" I asked, but snatched the drink from her, not waiting for the reply and chunked it down my throat as well. I immediately gagged it out and gave the drink back to her.

Alex and Rea laughed.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, spitting the rest of the awful taste off my tongue and using the hem of my shirt to wipe my mouth.

"Um…that would've been cherry tequila, which you now have to get me a refill of since you spewed out the rest of what was left of it." Alex laughed.

I sighed, taking a seat in between the girls.

"What's up with you?" Rea smiled at me.

I groaned as I placed my head on the counter in frustration, releasing an exasperating sigh. Suddenly, I released a gasp. I just drank my first alcoholic drink! I'm not an alcohol virgin anymore! What the hell does that make me?

"Oh my god!" I stated. "Did I just drink my first drink?" I whispered to myself rhetorically.

Rea rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, it can't be that bad. You'll be fine. Just don't ever mix your drinks with Listerine; I learned that the hard way."

"What happened?" Alex asked in concern.

"I don't want to talk about it." I told her.

"Okay, I respect that, but it looks to me that whatever it is really hit you hard. So I guess that calls for a drink. Bartender!"

"I-I I don't think that's such a good idea. After drinking whatever that was, I think I'll stick short."

"Oh come on, it's normal for the first time. One drink won't kill you." She told me. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Trust me, you need it."

I sighed. What else can I do hey?

"Okay, okay, hit me with your best shot." I told her.

The girls both squealed.

"Uh…bartender, hit me with a Chardonnay!" She called.

I scoffed.

… …

Last night with the girls was exactly what I needed, not that I particularly enjoyed taking the irrational decision to seize my alcohol virginity so soon, but it was great nonetheless. I didn't want anything to do with Justin and especially when he kept calling me every hour. It was probably an excuse I heard before.

I entered the main Cullen house to see Lizzie climbing down the staircase in a pair of sweats and a tank top.

"Hey Ms. Maguire – I mean Lizzie," I chuckled, greeting her.

"Hey, I know, hard getting used to that?" She chuckled, stepping off the last stair. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?" I smiled. My eyes suddenly lingered onto her slightly visible baby bump. My small smile fell. I still couldn't get over how fast she had been growing; I mean just yesterday it wasn't even that noticeable.

Today Lizzie's going to make the decision on whether or not she'd want to continue with this whole thing or not. I could only assume how hard this hard this must be for her. I wouldn't know what to do if I was in her shoes. I guess my mom was crazy that way.

"I-I'm doing okay, I guess. I don't know how else to feel." She told me. I nodded my head. "How's school going?"

"It's going great. Everyone misses you," I told her truthfully.

"Yeah, well, I guess they'll be fine without me." She said. My eyebrows furrowed.

What did that mean?

"I mean with the substitute teacher filling in and all."

"Um…yeah, she's okay I guess, certainly not as hilarious as you are." I told her.

She laughed. "Oh, I'm flattered." She said.

I smiled. "I'm just going to grab something from the kitchen." She told me. I nodded my head.

"Go ahead,"

Lizzie had been sleeping in one of the guest bedrooms. She found it hard to open up fully to our family so she's been up in that room for almost a whole day. I don't blame her though.

I went into the living room where I caught my uncles demolishing the Xbox.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them.

"Nessie!" Uncle Emmett greeted.

Jasper waved at me.

"Where's Alice?" I asked them.

"Went shopping with Rosalie," Jasper replied.

I nodded. Of course they did!

"Do you know when they'll be back?" I asked.

They shrugged.

I don't get how they can shop at a time like this? Maybe that's their way of getting through it.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I abruptly retrieved it out of my pocket to see a text from Felicity telling me she'd be over at my house in a few minutes.

I frowned. Well I guess I invited her over then.

… …

Felicity and I had been sitting in my bedroom, talking about her endless rant about her life. I didn't mind though, at least it kept me distracted from receiving texts and calls from Justin every five minutes.

"The vet took forever with the checkup. Can you believe it's $300 just for consultation?" She pointed out, this time talking about how she took her Yorkie to the vet the other day because she thought Chanel –the Yorkie – had the flu.

"How long did you wait?" I asked.

"Well, I finally left when Chanel's six o'clock haircut turned into one of the Siamese Twins quickie-cuts." She said to me as she rummaged her way through my jewelry box. I frowned.

"Well, did you at least find out what it was?"

"Turns out he had a paperclip in his throat." She told me. I smiled. Right. "We need to start shopping for dresses for Prom. This Sadie Hawkins theme is kind of giving me the _confustrations_! And I need a new pair of shoes."

"I don't think I'm going," I told her.

She gasped. "Well, I never!" She stated. "You have to go! It's only like going to be the greatest night of all time! And you're a nominee. You have to go."

"I don't know, it just seems stupid to me."

"Well you're stupid." She chuckled. "Come on, you only get to have your prom once."

"Actually, there's one again next year,"

"You can't just not go!" She told me.

I sighed. "I don't know."

She rolled her eyes and faced then my dresser mirror.

"So before we head to the party this weekend, we could sneak into my Dad's lab. I wanna show you something awesome."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Relax. I rigged the doors so we can get inside this weekend." She told me as she pulled out two diamond earrings of different shapes. "Hey, do you have something a little less hippie and a little more chichi?"

"Whatever's in there is what I have." I told her as I flipped through the GQ issue.

"Okay, so, what do you think?" Felicity called, facing me and placing one curly, diamond earring on her one ear. "_'It's a great privilege just to be nominated'_ or _'it's about time, where's my crown and throne'_?" She added, dangling a pear-shaped diamond earring, bedazzled with crystals dangling.

Alice…

I stared at both of them. I slightly glanced at my phone and then back at Felicity, giving her a weak smile.

"They both look great." I said to her.

She frowned and sighed.

"Rens, I know what you're going through." She said to me, making her way over to me and climbing on the bed with me. "When Hunter and I fight, I'm always the one bawling my eyes out in the end, almost to the point of insanity. So I wear my headphones and blast some Taylor Swift or Katy Perry to drown my sorrows. It's normal." She said. "Look, the worst part is now. Feeling sorry for it,"

I sighed.

"Which is why you need to get out of the house, we will have an epic time together!" She told me.

"Yeah, you, me and Hunter!" I told her.

"That's not entirely true. I know someone who has a huge crush on you." She told me.

I frowned. "Who?"

"I hear Chris Suzsinski's totally into you." She grinned.

I scoffed. "I thought he was taking Lissa?"

"I mean yeah, he is but he told Hunter that he would've rather picked you or you picked him but he just thought you weren't into him that way." She said.

"But I'm not," I told her.

"Who cares? It's not like you're thinking of going with anybody else." She scoffed.

That's true. I mean, I would've asked Justin but, I don't know. If I were to go I'd have to pick someone at the school but all this time, the name that popped up was Jake.

"Oh my Jimmy Choo, I knew it!" She gasped. "You're thinking about someone, aren't you?"

My eyes widened.

"No. No. I'm not."

"Yes, yes you are! You're thinking about taking someone to the prom and it's not Justin Mazzola." She told me. "What's his name?"

I didn't answer.

"Forget it; it's probably one of those basketball college frat jocks from Washington anyways." She sighed, getting up and raiding my closet.

"Look, Renesmee, this guy maybe hot and all but that booty call is a far distance." She said. "It's time to say goodbye to your little Justin Mazzola and Jock charming and hello to '**_Moving On Valley'_****.** These two boys shouldn't get in the way of you having fun."

"You know what, maybe you're right." I said to her, but not quite sure of my voice.

She was right. At least that's what I believed. I mean, I can't let these boys make feel this way. I'm freaking seven! I'm too young for all this drama.

"Of course I am." She replied. "So, what are you going to wear?"

"I thought we were going to look for dresses."

"I'm talking about the heist/party silly," She chuckled, flashing a red blouse and jeans at me on her right hand and my black high slit maxi dress with a leather jacket on her left.

"So, the _Simplicity Sophistication_?" She said, flashing the first option. "Or, the 'Let's throw the roof up this joint and doing it in style'?"

I chuckled.

"Hmm…" I hummed. "I think the maxi dress," I said.

She squealed. "That was my first choice! Okay now all that's left are your shoes."

I rolled my eyes, drifting my eyes over to my window where I watched the air breeze through the lace. I smiled. Reflecting on my time here, I actually find myself happy here. Living in Forks will always have a special place in my heart, but I need to move on. Forks was where my family built their lives, where my parents met, where my parents fell in love.

Now I needed to make my own destiny…

... …

**Third Person**

**_The doors unfurled with an enormous gush of wind, almost blowing the drapes of the hollow room._**

**_"_****_Did you bring what I asked for?" The abysmal, ominous voice of the man echoed in the room._**

**_"_****_No, but I think I found something that would be of good use to you." The second, more vulnerable voice stated._**

**_"_****_Enlighten me then…" The sinister voice uttered._**

**_"_****_The girl, the girl we've been looking for. I found her…"_**

**_This sparked curiosity in the room. The man spun around, narrowing his eyes._**

**_"_****_Do not play games with me, boy!"_**

**_"_****_See for _****_yourself_****_," The younger man stated._**

**_There was a sudden glow in the palm of his hand as he stretched it out to the older man. The baleful man grinned slyly._**

**_"_****_I assume we are going on a journey, aren't we, my young boy?" The man sneered, then spun around, readjusting his robe and releasing a satisfied sigh as he lingered his eyes out the crystal window. "We are coming for you, young one. You and your clan…and I will show no mercy." He sniggered menacingly._**

… …

**A/N: There it is!**

**Who do you think the evil man is?**

**Someone we know?**

**Someone totally new, and more dangerous? **

**Review! Follow! ****Favorite****!**


	25. Chapter 25: Decision

**RENESMEE'S POV**

We were all in the main Cullen house living room talking about random things. Esme talking about how it's not fun seeing everyone die from random diseases, Emmett crying about Halo 6 not coming out, Alice ranting on about the Bachelor. I just smiled at the scene.

I felt Jake tap my shoulder from beside me. I tilted my head to see him smiling at me.

"You good?"

I nodded my head.

"Hey, who's Juan Pablo?" He questioned.

I giggled lightly. "A jerk,"

He nodded his head. "I figured," He smiled, flashing his Jake-y grin that showcased his deep-seated dimples.

They were the most beautiful I had ever seen –Stop it Nessie!

I looked up to see my father, Edward giving me a bizarre, perplexed look. I quickly hid my face, trying my absolute best to hide the blush forming on my cheeks.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have a dad that could read my every thought. I mean, isn't that an invasion of privacy?

Or maybe I'm crazy, I don't know. Maybe my thoughts are crazy, why do I think my best friend/brother's dimples are beautiful? He has seen me in my diapers before.

But the dimples though –

I looked up to see if my dad was listening to my thoughts but he didn't seem bothered.

"Bella fell off a mountain?" Rosalie questioned in shock and Emmett's guffaw only got louder.

"Yep, I saw it!" Alice smiled.

Of course she did!

"The mountain lion put up a fight," Edward chuckled. My mother tapered her topaz eyes at my father. "I'm sorry, love, but you did."

"How can a cougar tackle you?" Jasper questioned.

"It wasn't like that. I just got distracted," Bella defended her case.

"From what? The scenery?" Emmett laughed loudly. Bella smiled, slightly eying my father before they both chuckled uncontrollably.

We all knew what that meant and everyone groaned and shuddered at the thought.

"Ugh, seriously? I just drank blood," Emmett gagged, flashing a disgusted look. Edward and Bella just continued laughing.

"No, she lost her focus because she smelt the scent of a dog," Edward stated. "Apparently, Seth really wanted to go for a run and play fetch," Edward smiled.

I couldn't stifle the laugh erupting in my throat. "Are you serious?"

Bella sighed, nodding her head. "Yep, he intended to make a practical joke but I was not laughing."

"Ooh, Bella on full anger-mode. Five bonus points!" Emmett stated. I shook my head at my weird uncle.

"I was on the verge of breaking his back again like I did seven years ago." Bella pointed out with an eye roll. "Luckily, Edward here came to the rescue. I don't think he'd be pleased a dislocated one of his best friend's back."

"Who also happens to be your brother-in-law, I don't think you would've gone with it." Dad told mom.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Meh,"

"W-wait, you broke Seth's back? Why?" I questioned, feeling completely confused. I thought she and Seth were close.

Edward and Bella snuck glimpses at each other before turning over to Jake whose pulse picked up. I watched as my mother and father turned back to each other, having mental conversations before turning back to me.

"It was my test, I guess." Bella shrugged.

I furrowed my brow, but then ceased it. "Oh, because you were a newborn? I see. Wow, did Seth piss you off that much?"

"Eh, you'd say I got pissed off, yes." She hummed, eying Jacob knowingly. I frowned.

"Weird," I whispered.

"I'll talk to Seth about interruption of intimate outings and invasion of privacy." Jake pointed out so quickly, I literally almost forgot what the topic was all about.

"That will be much appreciated, thank you Jacob." Bella told him.

"Haven't you guys ever wondered how a rat's blood tastes like?" Uncle Emmett questioned, channel-hopping and stumbling upon _Ratatouille_.

"I think I have made my decision," Lizzie's voice announced shakily as she entered the room. All the laughter and conversations died down almost immediately, everyone's focus was now reverted onto the young lady.

Staring at her now, I didn't believe she was the same bright teacher I met six months ago. She was pale as a sheet. Her eyes were filled with cracks and bruises –although it wouldn't have been extremely discernible in human eyes – and her body seemed untouchable, like if you'd touch her she's immediately mutilate.

"I have done a lot of soul-searching and I think I have decided what I am going to do with this situation." She began. "Firstly, I would like to thank you all for inviting me to your wonderful home. You are all kind to me and I will forever be grateful." She said to us.

I frowned. Where was she going with this?

She inhaled a deep breath. "I never planned on having kids, I don't think anyone does when they actually do, but Bella can agree with me that when it does happen, you get this feeling in you you've never felt before." She said, eying my mother who smiled back.

"I feel like this child needs to have a life. Despite the supernatural part, it is still a child, a living being. And I don't think killing it will solve anything at all. A child needs a loving home, with a family of nice people who would care for it unconditionally and if I don't make it…" She trailed off, wiping a tear from her eye. "I would really want this child to have a life. So yes, I think I'm going to go through this. I know it's crazy, and I'm absolutely not prepared but…I have to do this. Reasons being, I do not believe in abortion, I'm a woman of faith, I don't put killing a living thing on the top of my list. As much as I don't want the child to have to wonder who its father is, and find out he's actually a conniving twerp but…I value life, I value this baby, even if I succumb to my wounds at the end of the day."

"You mean when you die?" I questioned.

"Nessie, please," My mother warned me.

Lizzie stared at me. I couldn't believe she's doing this. She can't be willing to give up her own life for this baby. I'm sorry but she can't do that!

"Lizzie, if this is what you want. We can get through this with you." Rosalie assured her.

Lizzie smiled. "Thank you," She said, but wince as a spasm hit her. She clasped her stomach and everyone shot up. "The kid just kicked me,"

"Are you okay?" Bella stated, running over to her side.

Lizzie nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Carlisle will be here in an hour." Edward told us all.

I turned over to Alice who had a frustrated look on her face. She was uncharacteristically quiet this whole time. Maybe she's trying to have vision.

Lizzie nodded her head and Rosalie helped her up to her room. Rosalie came back a couple of minutes later.

I couldn't help but think about everything. I am going to lose my friend over this mess that I probably created if I didn't act sooner and stopped Charles from furthering his relationship with her. This is my fault and I know it.

After Lizzie left the room, my family immediately began discussing what had just happened and the next step forward. My father immediately contacted my grandfather whilst my mother had a small disagreement with my aunts about the decision Lizzie was making.

I involuntarily got off my seat on the sofa. I was on the verge of leaving the room when I felt a hand tug me. I spun around to see Jake frowning up at me.

"I'll be right back," I assured him, slipping my way through his grasp and heading up the staircase to my room –which I assumed now was hers. I inhaled a heavy breath before tapping against the mahogany door lightly.

"Come in," I indistinctively heard her whisper in reply. I opened the door and waltzed in to see her carefully sitting on the bed, facing the ceiling.

"Hey," I greeted softly, shutting the door behind me.

She didn't reply after a few seconds. "Hey," She murmured to me, but it didn't sound right.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I shook my head. "What am I saying; of course you're not okay."

She released a light chuckle, although it came out as a cough. I furrowed my eyebrows and pouted my bottom lip.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked me, releasing another rough cough.

I walked over to her bed. "Um…I just came to see if you were okay. That must have been hard ,for you?"

"Not really, I mean, a decision needed to be made and I thought that was the best one." She told me.

"Is it really?" I stated. She gave me a frown as she sat up, shifting her weight uncomfortably. "I mean…" I paused as I sat on the edge of the bed. "This is your life, Liz. You don't have to go through with this. Carlisle can do something –"

"Look, Nessie. I appreciate your concern but I have already made my decision."

"I know. I know, it's just…" I trailed off. I knew whatever I said wouldn't change anything.

She stared at me for a while before sighing and fiddling with her hands.

"I told you why I wanted to keep it…to keep the _baby_," She told me, slightly groaning at the name. "But I never told you the reason behind it all."

I frowned, hoping she'd elaborate.

"Ever wondered why I don't talk about my brother whenever you ask me about him?" She questioned. I nodded my head in remembrance. "Well, that's because it's hard to talk about him."

I didn't know where she was going with this, but I knew it wasn't going to be easy for her, judging by the pained expression on her face.

"Sometimes I don't even know where to start…" She paused. "Carter, my brother and I lost our mother when he was four years old through bone marrow disease. You could only imagine what he was going through, since at that age, your mother's your whole world. After losing her, the family dynamic shifted I guess. We were now living in a single-income family. Throughout the grieving process, my dad got involved with alcohol and a bunch of substances, he suddenly changed. Basically he wasn't performing his best in the 'Parent department'. By that time, I was seventeen so that meant I needed to take the responsible, higher authority figure in the household." She told me, flashing a small smile although I could see the agony in her eyes.

"So I got a job at the supermarket, but I got fired for stealing the food and then I got a job at a bar, but that didn't pay much so I got myself fired." She chuckled. "I thought I was helpless until I came across my dad's friend's panel beater shop. I guess that's where my love for cars came in. Things weren't that great, especially in that year where my brother got diagnosed with Autism. A couple of months after my mom died, we had to find out that my brother had suffered from a mental illness. Story of my life right? A drunkard for a father and an autistic for a brother with my mother six feet under."

"I'm sorry," I whispered crackly, looking at her, completely not realizing I had fresh tears streaming down my pallid cheeks. She shook her head.

"No. Don't be sorry…" She paused, staring down before grabbing hold of my hands. I almost flinched at how icy and brittle they felt. "This is why I need to go through with this. Don't you see it? This child needs to be brought into this world, despite the obstacles. Supernatural or not, it's still a living being. I've lost so much in my life, and I'm not prepared to lose anymore."

I stared into her eyes. I understood what she was saying, but I didn't quite process it.

"You know you'll be risking your life?"

"So I've been told." She chuckled non-humorously. "But I don't care. I'm prepared to face any challenges ahead. If it means I'll be damned to death then so be it –" She mentioned. I slightly hissed.

"Do not say that. My grandfather –my whole family will do whatever they can to save you. Your heart won't stop beating, you understand?" I said to her, placing my hand on her cheek. I could see the blood streaming through her white-clothed face.

She smiled weakly and nodded her head.

"Some days I wish I could just redo that night, maybe I wouldn't be in this predicament quite early." She told me.

I simpered slightly then let my smile fall when I remembered something.

"You said you and Charles met at a bar, if I'm not mistaken? I mean I don't  
want to bring up bad memories but I was just curious?" I questioned.

"No. They weren't bad memories, actually, one of the bests." She told me.

I frowned.

_**Lizzie's flashback**_

_**Waiting for a live John Mayer concert is one thing but waiting for a date that would obviously never show is another. It's hard to believe there's ever enough jerks in this world. I'm tired of all these men, and I'm pretty sure more than half of the female population agrees with me.**_

_**My night had been made. I'm sat on this impossibly uncomfortable counter seat with a glass of Bourbon in my grasp, listening to boring ole music played by the instruments and doing all of this alone. Great!**_

"_**Hey, doll face, it's been four hours. I think he's a no-show." The dickhead bartender had the audacity comment.**_

"_**I figured." I flashed him a fake smile. I sighed. "Don't you have glasses to wash and drinks to refill, which by the way I need on this gal right here!" I gestured to myself. "And a cheese burger to go with extra hot sauce, please?"**_

"_**You got it," The bartender replied, polishing a couple of wine glasses.**_

_**I sighed, taking a sip of my drink and staring at a poster of a girl that had gone missing almost a year ago. I pulled my phone out, only to come across the wallpaper of my brother and I. I smiled slightly as I eyed my eleven year old brother carefully. I sighed as I slipped my phone back into my bag and took a sip of my drink.**_

"_**You okay down there, my lady?" An alluring subterranean voice pulled me out of my trance. **_

"_**Oh I'm great! Absolutely fantastic!" I mentioned, making sure the person sensed the sarcasm.**_

"_**Too bad, I assumed you needed more than Bourbon." The person told me. I got tired of referring to him as a person and tilted my head to the side to see the most striking sight imaginable with the statue of a majestic creature, that only resembled purity and beauty…drop-dead beauty.'**_

_**I gave him a small smile.**_

"_**So what happened?" The man with the accented voice said to me. I lingered my eyes over to his pink lips.**_

"_**A jerk stood me up," I told him truthfully.**_

"_**What an utter jerk!" He mentioned. I giggled.**_

"_**Yeah, well, we can't have plenty of those in this world right?" I said to him. He smiled, swigging a sip of his beer. "So, let me guess, drowning your sorrows from a tough day at med school?"**_

"_**Med school?"**_

"_**You know, working up to be the next surgeon of whatever, finding a cure for cancer, dreaming of winning the noble prize." I hummed. He flashed the neatest, perfect grin of interest. "And since you're a med-student, shouldn't you know better than chunking down alcohol?"**_

"_**You're a bit of a smartass, aren't you?" He told me. **_

"_**A bit?" I chuckled. He nodded. I rolled my eyes at him.**_

"_**I wrote for Oxford," He told me.**_

"_**Hmm, that looks good on a med-school app?" I joked.**_

"_**Since you're such a smartass, you should probably know that medicine wouldn't be the only thing I'd major in." He told me.**_

_**I smiled. Oh. Right… I should've thought about that. I gnawed my bottom lip.**_

"_**So what are you doing here in this weird town called Oakland Woods?" I asked.**_

"_**I just graduated, so I'm going to start my first teaching job at one of the high schools."**_

"_**Oh, that's funny because I'm also a teacher." I chuckled.**_

_**His perfect smile was in full view yet again, but I noticed how much it complimented his gorgeous ocean blue eyes. His dusky hair had been  
following the crystal scenery.**_

"_**What are you teaching?" He asked me.**_

"_**Biology, you?"**_

"_**History," He replied, taking the next seat closer to me, leaving one seat in between us.**_

"_**Ah right. I should've known. History major, quite unexciting people." I said to him. He scoffed.**_

"_**Well, on the contrary, I find history quite fascinating to me. It almost makes me feel like I had already relived it." He told me; however, I could sense a double meaning behind it but blindly ignored it.**_

_**I smiled. One of my favorite songs popped up and I silently gasped.**_

"_**Gosh, I love this song." I told him.**_

"_**Betsey Bates?" He questioned. I grinned, managing to sneak in a small blush as I stared into his eyes. "You know, I wasn't so sure at the beginning but I'm thoroughly impressed."**_

"_**Why?" I chuckled.**_

"_**Well…" He paused as he flashed over to the sneak next to mine. I could now catch a whiff on his amazing smell drenched in cologne.**_

"_**You're incredibly smart, you easily detect who a person is just by looking at them but then absolutely getting it false…" He said, laughing. I blushed. "You're also beautiful."**_

"_**Is that what you tell all the ladies?**_

_**He shook his head. "Only the ones worth getting to know, I'd like to know more about you," He mentioned to me, this time staring deep into my eyes and vice versa. Staring into his eyes sent this stir in my stomach; it was as if his eyes literally looked through my soul as he said those words.**_

_**I found myself involuntarily nodding my head in agreement, staring into his piercing blue eyes, losing myself in them for a little bit. I smiled. **_

"_**Yeah, I'd like to know more about you too."**_

_**End of Lizzie's Flashback**_

"Well that's the story I guess. I assume you know what happens after that." She told me. "I wish things went differently, you know? I wish I had waited a little while with him and maybe I wouldn't be in this mess."

I smiled slightly. I understood what she was going through. She felt like she had her fairytale story. It seemed like she and Charles shared something wonderful together but it was terrible because it wasn't real. He wasn't real. His name was a perfect example of that.

"Lizzie, Charles isn't who you thought he was."

"I mean I know that now, but it felt good to have a connection with someone that actually liked me back…or so I thought." She told me.

"No, I mean…" I paused. "Wait. Who stood up on your date that night?"

She was about answer but shut herself up as she sat, facing the ground. I furrowed my brows at her frozen state.

"What's wrong?"

Suddenly, I watched as she unhitched her jaw open and spewed regurgitated solids and liquid into the bucket she immediately grabbed from the ground. My eyes widened.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She coughed, sitting back on the pillows and shutting her eyes. She nodded her head slightly, placing the bucket on the ground but it was as almost as if that action sent a spiral at the trigger and I watched as she began spewing all over the bed, this time she regurgitated a more, soluble, crimson liquid.

Blood…

As if on cue, my family immediately shot in through the doors, full speed ahead and hurried their way over to Lizzie.

"Lizzie," My dad immediately went on full protection mode.

I was in too much shock to even tune in to what everyone was saying as I tried sitting up. The room was blurry; all I could see was the blood. I lifted my left hand to see the blood that landed on it. My lips quivered, teeth gritted, my eyes twitching and my hands trembling, I lost my ability to breathe.

My dad shot his head at me.

"Bella, get her out of here!" Edward shouted, holding Lizzie by the hand whilst Rosie held the other. "Get her out!" He shouted.

Bella ran over to my side, gripping my free hand firmly. It was then Carlisle waltzed into the room with medical equipment in his grasp.

"I came here as fast as I could. I'm off for the month." He told no one in particular. "Let's get Lizzie to the medical room, stat!"

"Honey, let's go," My mom muttered in my ear, holding me close to her whilst she and I walked out. I couldn't process what had just happened. All that I could think about was…the blood.

So much blood…

"Nessie! Nessie!" I heard my mom call for me. I drifted away from the images in my head and finally set my eyes on my mother.

"What just happened? There was blood…blood everywhere!" I cried out, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

"Honey, when last did you hunt?" She asked me.

My eyes bulged widely at the realization and my breathing hitched frantically.

"Oh my god, it's been months! D-did I try to –? Oh my god, I didn't just try to kill my Biology teacher didn't I? What's wrong with me? I-I –There was so much blood mom!" I sobbed, feeling vicious tears fall down my cheek and hit the soft ground. I watched as my family scurried out the room with a gush as they went to get Lizzie downstairs.

"Shh, shh," Mom soothed, holding me by the face to calm me down. I stared into her topaz eyes, but she seemed so blurry to me as more tears welled up. "Let's go hunting, okay. Everything will be okay,"

I nodded my head as she and I began descending the stairs, immediately slipping out of the house and heading for the woods.

My mom dashed a bit slow to keep up with my half-immortal speed, making sure I don't go running into tree traffic because of absolute shockwave.

As more tears threatened to fall, the wind just blew them away. We rushed through the impossibly thick mist of the clearing, surpassing every tree that we came across with.

"Stop!" My mother hissed, placing her hand on my stomach as we stopped on a cliff. "Look," She murmured, gesturing to the herd of deer over the cliff river water.

"Should we go around it?" I questioned.

She shook her head. "I'll go over it," She said, taking a couple of steps back. I furrowed my eyebrows.

She sped up inhumanly fast and made it to the other side in a nanosecond. I couldn't even blink. She spun around to face me.

"You'll find me here." She told me.

"I think I'm going to jump," I said to her.

Her eyes widened in the horror. "No, Ness –Renesmee no! Do not jump, go around. I'm coming over! You can't jump –"

"That will take forever. Mom, I can do this. Trust me." I told her, moving a few steps back. "I can make it," I murmured to myself.

The distance between the two cliffs was gigantic, approximately 20 ft. apart, the cliffs were so high that the water sounds were inaudible but I was determined to make it over.

I haven't jumped over this far in my past seven years of existence but I was determined to break that record. I might be crazy but I need to prove my fears wrong, that I am able to tackle an obstacle.

I shut my eyes and let my feet guide me wherever it took me.

After about a second, I found my feet landing on gravel ground.

When I felt the hard gravel ground, I released a sigh of absolute relief. I looked at my mom and nodded my head. She grinned at me.

"Okay, that was awesome but do not ever do that to me okay?" She warned, pulling me into a hug before we got down, preparing for our hunt.

On my third or fourth deer, I dropped the body down and immediately bawled in tears. My mother caught this and sped over to my side.

"Nessie," She muttered.

"I don't know what got over me in there. There-There was so much blood and…I just couldn't…" I croaked.

Bella immediately draped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I returned the embrace.

"Honey, I know. I know." She consoled me. "You're okay now. You just haven't hunted in a while."

I pulled away to stare at her and placed my hand on her cheek. _I just hate that feeling._ I sniffled as I projected my thoughts.

"I know, baby," She whispered into my ear.

Hopefully I will never have to deal with this again.

… …

**The Next Day**

The school day ended rather quicker than I thought, or at least quick as I wanted it to be. The whole day, I had been worrying about how Lizzie was doing. After that little incident in her room, Carlisle was now keeping caution over Lizzie 24/7. It literally got to the point where he decided to get a whole month or two off work in order to keep a proper eye on Lizzie's pregnancy. Carlisle says that when Lizzie regurgitated blood the other day, the fetus must've been trying to reject consuming her blood. My parents told me I did something similar when I was in the womb, I didn't want to hurt my mom and so did the baby.

Carlisle worked his magic and got her stabled for a while, giving her a bunch of antibiotics and anesthetics to ease the pain she was suffering. It was starting to get really intense.

Besides stressing about Lizzie's situation, the whole day I had been avoiding Justin but that wasn't even necessary because he didn't even show up. I was actually wondering if he's going to make it to the Hurling match tonight.

I was making my way over to my car when I caught Alex walking over to her car.

"Alex!" I called.

She spun around to see me. I smiled as I made my way over to her.

"Hey, I haven't seen you all day. Or were you spending your time with Mr. Clearwater?" I teased, wriggling my eyebrows.

"What did you do to my brother?" She demanded bluntly. I frowned. "I mean he didn't come to school, and he's not returning my calls or my texts so what did you do?"

I sighed. "Maybe you should be asking what he did to me. He bailed on our date a couple of days ago, and many more before that."

"Wait, that's not like him." She told me, staring at me in confusion.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I scoffed. "I thought he might have had a lot going on but now I'm just thinking he is just avoiding me or maybe he's hiding something. I'm more worried about him than I am angry,"

She deepened her glower but replaced it quickly with a smile. She gave me a gentle rub. "I'll talk to him."

I sighed, nodding my head. "So, are you excited for tonight?"

"Yep. Definitely, I've got my high-kicks and dance moves ready for the big game tonight." She told me. I laughed.

"Can't wait to see that." I smiled. "Hey, there's this college party tomorrow night. You wanna come?"

"Well, normally on Saturday's I'd be doing something outrageous or watching the marathon of Dance Moms but maybe a party would be fun." She told me. I chuckled.

… …

I stopped by my house to drop off my bags before heading to the main Cullen House where the rest of my family was. I waltzed into the large doors and made my way immediately to the living room where I could hear some giggles and chuckles coming from the sofa.

"That's funny," I heard Lizzie giggle uncontrollably. I halted, leaning my back against the wall and snuck a glance through the edge of the living room door to see Lizzie perched up against Jake's large frame with his arm tightly wrapped around her shoulder. Lizzie looked so fragile in his arms, holding the blanket against her chest.

They were both smiling from ear-to-ear and I swear I could see a blush forming on Lizzie's pastel cheek. I frowned. I could feel hot heat burning in the pit of my stomach watching the scene. I was having a visceral reaction, and I didn't like it one bit.

Jake lifted his face up, catching my eye.

"Oh hey, Nessie!" He greeted me.

I entered the living room. "Sorry to interrupt, I-I was just wondering where my parents are?"

"Oh, they went out, they said they'll be back in a couple of minutes." Jake told me. I nodded my head, managing to plaster a small smile on my face.

"Thanks," I said, making my way out the room but Lizzie stopped me.

"Renesmee," She called, however, it wasn't strong. I rolled my eyes before spinning around to face my _teacher_. "Are you going to the game tonight?"

"Um…yeah, I guess. It's actually mandatory for cheerleaders." I mentioned.

"Right. Well, have fun and we better win. Go Hurricanes!" She whispered hoarsely. She released a cough and I suddenly began feeling terrible.

"Sure," I nodded my head, eying Jake who was staring directly at me before twirling around on my toes and heading into the first room I saw to exhale a shaky breath.

"Oh my god," I mouthed as I leaned against the wall.

Was there something going on between Jake and Lizzie? Did they like each other? Is that how they know each other, because they've dated before? And why do I feel extremely bothered about it?

I mean Jake wasn't my boyfriend or anything, he is supposed to form a connection with, um, people…but did it have to be my previous Biology teacher?

What the hell is happening to me?

"Are you okay, Renesmee?" My grandfather's voice reached my ears. I recoiled and looked to see him sitting on his seat. "I apologize, did I startle you?" He said.

"No, I-I…" I trailed off as I caught a glimpse of stacks of research paper. "What are you investigating?" I questioned, walking up to him.

"Well, I am actually looking up on ways to approach or should I say, 'tackle' Lizzie's situation differently." He told me. I frowned. "When your mother carried you, we had no knowledge about the outcome or even know what to do but if we can find a different approach, maybe Lizzie might actually survive." He told me.

I widened my eyebrows. Lizzie could survive this pregnancy? Human?

"That's amazing!" I stated.

"I'm not sure it'll succeed well but it's worth a try." He said. "I'll need to contact Nahuel, ask him a few questions."

Nahuel. I haven't seen him in almost six months but I do talk to him once in a while.

I nodded my head. If what he's saying could actually work then maybe we could be able to save the lives of two people.

"I hear your school's hosting a game tonight?" Grandfather said, but had his focus on the computer.

"Yep. I'm really excited,"

"I am too," I heard my father's voice reach the room. I spun around to see my father smiling widely. I frowned.

"What do you mean you're also excited?" I asked.

"Oh, because I'm going with you," My father stated.

I heaved a sigh.

I am seriously going to lose my mind. Seriously, somebody kill me. My dad just grinned at me.

"This will be fun," He told me. I rolled my eyes and walked past him.

… …

I adjusted my red and blue cheerleading skirt down as I made it to the field. The field was jam-packed with spectators and players; it actually got to the point where it was overwhelming. I looked to one of the bleachers to see my father sitting in between a bunch of parents and waved to me. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I'm still pretty much annoyed that my dad tagged along. He'd care less about the game, he's only here to keep an eye on me.

"Thank god, you're here!" Felicity stated as she reached me. "Why are you late?"

"I'm sorry, I got confused with the timing and –"

"There's no confusion here! You missed the cheer practice! Now we're probably going to lose the game because we ruined our cheer," She shouted. I stared at the ground. "Omigosh, I am so sorry, Renesmee. I didn't mean to be harsh. I-I'm just worried."

"Look, I'm sorry but we're not gonna lose!" I assured her. She smiled and pulled me into a hug.

"Okay!" She told me as she pulled away to run off to the squad. I sighed. The crowd went wild as the OWHS Hurling team came into view. I met with Justin's eyes as he ran over to the other side of the field to prep for the game.

I heard Hunter wince as he walked past me after talking to the coach. I grab his arm.

"Are you good?" I asked him. He frowned. "I mean, after what happened I was actually thinking you weren't going to play."

"Oh, you're talking about what your dickass boyfriend did to me?" He questioned. He chuckled. "He's not who he says he is Renesmee,"

"You're only saying that because you don't like him. I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you."

"He dislocated my arm and spline!" He shouted, gritting his teeth together. I sighed, crossing my arms and looking to the side to see my father standing up, trying to intervene but I shook my head at him. He sat down reluctantly. I turned back to Hunter. He grinned at me.

"Let me not tell you what the kind of person your little boyfriend is, you know, let me rather just enjoy how this ends because it will be so much more rewarding watching him tell you himself…or better yet watching you find out for yourself," He stated, flashing a sly, smug grin before running back to the team. He winked at me before conversing with the team,

I furrowed my brows. What Hunter said would probably make me angry, and I'd probably defend Justin but after recent events, I'd actually want to know what's going on. What could Justin possibly be hiding from me that's so clandestine?

"Renesmee!" Felicity called for me.

I ran over to the squad and grabbed my pompoms.

"Go Hurricanes!" We all cheered.

The game went to half time, the teams drew and Coach Flak was on edge, throwing curse words and shade to the opposing team. I felt a hand tug me and I turned around to see Justin staring at me with eyes of hurt.

"Leave me alone," I said to him as I shook his grip off and walked past him.

"Renesmee, listen to me." He urged.

"Look. I've tried to listen to you but I think all I'm getting from you are lies so…forgive me if I don't want to talk to you. You're doing great by the way," I said to him as I walked off.

When is this game going to end?

… …

Turns out, the OWHS Hurling team won the match against our rival team Harbin Hot Springs Prep. It seemed like a stellar match and I was so glad it ended quickly. There was an after party at Hunter's house, and I probably would've gone if it wasn't for my dad insisting we leave immediately after the game ended. I didn't protest because he was my ride.

He parked his Volvo up the main Cullen house driveway. He and I slipped out of the car.

"Tonight was great, huh?" He asked me.

"Great for you, think about how I must feel having my father watch me cheer and chant my name out for the whole world to hear." I laughed.

"Oh, come on peanut. You have to admit, having your dad around is the best thing in your life." He joked, pulling me by the shoulders and ruffling my hair. I chuckled and shoved him away playfully.

"Um…no, it's humiliating and I'm probably going to have this written on my forehead for the rest of my high school experience." I told him.

He smiled. "I didn't like the way those boys talked to you earlier. Whose the blonde one, Hunter right?"

"Yep and don't worry dad. It's nothing." I assured him.

"Only if you're sure?" He questioned.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm sure,"

He smiled as he opened the door and entered through the door and I followed. We waltzed into the living room to be greeted by my mother.

"How was the game?" She asked, embracing me with a hug and my father a kiss.

"It was great. We won!" I told her.

"Yes!" She whispered enthusiastically. I giggled. "Lizzie's asleep so I don't wanna wake her up."

I looked over her shoulder to see Lizzie lying on the couch with a quilt covering her temple, with an IV taped to her body. I noticed her head was placed on Jake's thigh whilst he seemed to be drifting off to sleep.

God! They looked like an actual couple and the familiar burn in my stomach hit me harder than ever. Why did I hate this scene so much? He can do whatever he wanted!

"Do you want me to whip you up something to eat, honey? You must be famished from all that cheering?" Bella told me.

"U-uh, thank you mom but I think I'm just going to bed. I'm a little tired." I told her convincingly, but I was lying.

Bella smiled slightly. "Well, if you're sure. We'll meet you in a few," She told me with dad smirking at me.

I smiled and nodded my head, spinning around and heading for the door.

"Nessie," The familiar deep voice lingered in my ears. I twirled around to see Jake following me with a sleepy look on his face.

"How was the game?" He asked

"Great, uh, I think I'm going to head out. See you tomorrow!" I told him quickly before running out of the house and to my house.

I reached the house and waltzed in. I pulled my scarf off my neck and made my way over to my bedroom to jump into my pajamas and hop into bed. I pulled the covers over my body.

I stared up the ceiling, replaying my day again and again before drifting off into a subliminal state.

It felt like I was probably sleeping for over thirty minutes when I felt warm lips on my skin. My arms, my chest, my neck, my chin, my ear, my forehead were the very places I felt these perfect lips come into contact with my skin. At each kiss, I found my body being lifted from the bed before collapsing as the lips disappeared.

As I could taste the breath coming from the amazing lips, I slowly opened up my eyes to see Jake's beautiful brown eyes gaze down at me with such gratification and hunger.

"You are so beautiful," He whispered against my lips, tracing his fingers up my arm sensually. I shivered in enjoyment at the touch.

I stretched my arm out to run my small hand through his thick, slick jet black hair and trailed my hand down his well-chiseled face. I could feel his large, sizzling hand hauled my camisole up slightly, revealing my stomach. He leaned in to plant his gentle lips onto mine in a sultry, passionate kiss. Feeling his lips on mine for the first time could beat any feeling in the world. He pulled away to stare down at me. I ran my hands all over his back.

He dipped his head into my neck where I immediately felt his warm lips creep on my skin yet again in soft, lingering kisses. I gripped his strong, bare body close to me.

His wet tongue roamed around the nape of my neck and I could instantaneously sense my insides burn at the action. I released a carnal wail before uttering the words.

"I love you,"

My body jolted up suddenly and I spread my eyes open, gasping for air. I was absolutely breathless. It was just a dream. All of that was just a dream. But it felt so real…

I ran my hand through my long, bronze hair and released a shock chuckle as I twirled the tips of my hair. I glanced at my clock to see I've been sleeping for longer than two hours. I scoffed as I collapsed onto my pillows.

"Oh my gosh," I murmured to myself.

… …

**A/N: I hope you all liked that!**


	26. Chapter 26: Daddy Dearest

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I woke up the next morning to a text from Alex telling me to head over to the school, specifically the school pool area. I frowned, confused as to what was happening to the school but I got ready either way and hopped into my car, driving over to OWHS.

I made my way over to the pool after locking my car. I could hear water splashing from the pool. I snuck a sneak peek through the glass doors to see a girl reeling in the pool before opening the doors, and waltzing in.

As I got closer, the girl emerged from the pool and grabbed a towel. She looked up to see me and grinned, pulling her goggles out.

"Hey," Alex greeted me warmly.

"Hey. Is everything okay?" I asked her. "You texted me to get here. I was just worried something happened."

"Oh, everything's good. I should've been subtle," She stated. I smiled.

"Why are you here?"

"Practicing, I've got a swim meet next month." She told me. My eyes bulged.

"You're in the swimming team?" I questioned. "What else don't I know about you, Alex?"

She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Swimming had been cancelled because of previous incidents but now it's back so I'm really pumped."

"Don't you find it weird that this is the very room a janitor's body was found?" I pointed out.

"Stranger things have happened. And nothing gets me away from the water." She told me. I smiled. "If it's not the dance studio, it's the water. I come here to unwind my thoughts I guess, especially when I'm stressed."

"What are you stressed about?" I asked.

"Um…well…" She began awkwardly. "It's nothing really, you know, normal teenage stuff." She said, however, I knew something else was bothering her.

"Maybe, I should take up swimming." I told her. She laughed. "You know, you can tell me anything, right?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, yeah of course." She said.

I smiled. "So, why did you call me out here anyway?"

She sighed. "I think you're right about Justin. He's been acting a little off lately, he's more aggressive and secretive. He never was like this. And his relationship with our dad just became even more estranged. I don't know what's happening." She told me.

… …

**Later that day**

I got ready for the party tonight. I slipped into my short maxi dress that reached to my knees and wore some black tights underneath. I sported the look with some leather boats and denim jacket, and finished off with my hair curled to the side. I thought I looked alright.

I got a text. I frowned as I grabbed my phone from my nightstand.

_**Look, Renesmee, I get that I'm probably the last person you want to hear from now but I need you to talk to me. Alex told me you're heading to the College party. I'll meet you there, okay? We'll talk. And I promise, this time, I'll be there.**_

_**Justin**_

I managed to form a small smile at the message. It was sweet that he was willing to try. I didn't know if I should trust his words, because actions always speak louder but…maybe I can just hear him out.

I grabbed my car keys and left the house. I hopped into my car and drove off but quickly stopped by my family's house to tell them I'm off.

I waltzed into the mansion, making my way immediately to the living room. The first sight was obviously Lizzie who had been laid back on the comfortable sofa, giggling softly at the joke Seth made –who was sitting on the opposite couch beside her.

"Hey guys!" I greeted with a wide smile.

"Oh, hey Nessie!" Seth greeted enthusiastically. "Whoa look at you!"

"Hey," Lizzie whispered throatily. My smile fell. "Flu's kicking in."

"I am so glad I got rid of that after I turned." Seth breathed, wiping some non-existent sweet off his forehead. I giggled whilst Lizzie just rolled her eyes.

"So, what are you guys talking about?" I asked.

"Seth is such an idiot and disgusting! He told me about he went on throughout his childhood life eating peanut butter from of his boxers." She gagged,

"Hey, I made a delicious sandwich out of those boxers. Underwear deluxe was probably my top fave. Mmm…Underwear Deluxe." Seth stated. I frowned, glancing back at Lizzie then back at Seth. "I could give you guys the recipe?"

"I think we'll pass," I laughed.

Seth shrugged his shoulders, snagging a bite out of his egg roll. Just then, Jake waltzed into the room with a blanket in his grasp.

"Hey, Nessie," He greeted me with a huge smile. He handed the blanket over to Lizzie. "Here you go,"

Lizzie grinned up at him. "Thanks,"

"You look great, Ness. Where you off to?" Jake stated with a grin, as he sat down on beside to Lizzie and immediately draping his arms around her.

My breathing almost hitched at the scene. The picture just made my blood heat up, almost to the point of boiling point.

"Um…" I stammered but stopped when my parents entered the room.

"Look who's here!" My mother mentioned as she clutched my father's hand. "We were almost wondering if you got lost, locking yourself in that house."

"She was probably studying for the big test I'm giving her class next week," Seth stated with a mouthful of his egg roll and took a sip of his Snapple.

"Yeah, you know me! Stuck behind those books," I chuckled awkwardly, glancing back at Jake and Lizzie.

"You do know weekends are there for a reason, right?" Emmett's voice entered the room as he and Rosalie came into view. He snatched the TV remote from Seth's hands who protested.

"Emmett, not everybody likes to have fun on days that end in 'y' like you do!" Rosalie rolled her eyes at her husband as she went over to Lizzie, bending down to her height. "Are you good?" She whispered. Lizzie nodded her head.

"Uh…a-actually I'm going out tonight." I announced to my family. Everyone hummed in response.

"Is that why you're all dolled up?" Bella smiled. My father's happy face turned into something I really didn't get tired of seeing…worry.

I nodded.

"Thanks to me, of course." Alice squeaked as she entered the room. "My fashion sense is rubbing off on her I see."

Where was everyone coming from?

"W-well yeah, actually…my friend Felicity picked it out for me." I told them.

"Ooh, Felicity." Alice smiled. "I mean, she's no 'Alice' but she tries."

"Yeah, like who would ever want to be like you?" Emmett injected from the couch, his eyes transfixed on the huge plasma screen. Alice rolled her eyes.

"I will pretend I never heard that!" She sighed exasperatingly. "I'd like to meet her." She said to me.

"I'll make note of that." I told her. It was good to see the family at least smiling with this whole Lizzie situation.

Everyone was on edge, especially my dad and granddad, but Lizzie was the one who told us to continue living the way we did even before she came.

I could see she was trying not to be a burden. Those are one of the things I admired about her, she was selfless.

"Who are you going out with? And where?" My father just had to jump on the 'Interrogation boat'.

I chuckled. "Slow your roll, pops. I'm just going out with Alex and some friends to a party." I laughed but stopped when I saw Jake and Lizzie having a silent conversation and giggling to each other. "And I'm going on a date with Justin."

It was as if what I said sent a trigger over to Jake's side and his head shot at me. I frowned and just spun around, making my way to the door.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." My father stated as he began following me from behind.

I turned around to face him.

"Wha-why? Why can't I hang out my _boyfriend_? You know, you've had a thing against him ever since I started dating him. Why?" I stated. All those times I told my dad about him, or even mentioned his name, he'd just tense up and get all grumpy on me.

"I don't have anything against him. I'm your father; all I'm doing is looking out for you." He told me.

"I know, dad. You're supposed to look out for me, but as a father, you should also let me be!" I argued. "You hate him; let's just leave it at that."

"I don't hate him." He said to me.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, then a strong dislike for him, is that better? Or am I sugarcoating it too much?"

He sighed. "I don't want you going to that party."

"Oh, now you don't want me to go to party with my friends now? What next, I can't even go to my own funeral?" I questioned. "I'm fully grown dad. I think I'm old enough to make my own choices."

He furrowed his brows. "There's a killer on the loose and you want to go partying with your friends? I don't think that's very mature, now is it?" He demanded angrily. I literally flinched at the tone.

I shook my head. "I go to school every day! I hang out with my friends every other day! Nothing happened to me! How is today any different?" I questioned with a raised tone. "You know, some parents see their children as their equals, not their property."

"Honey, I don't think you're my property." He replied.

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it." I muttered under my breath with my arms crossed. He inhaled an unnecessary deep breath before replying.

"What kind of parent would I be if I let you hang around teenagers who make bad choices, associate themselves with alcohol, drugs and sex?" He probed.

"Dad, you of all people should know that I would never do any of those things." I told him.

"That doesn't mean you should be around those types of people!" He stated. I shook my head and bit my tongue. "Look, I only want what's best for you."

"And Justin isn't?" I brought up the topic from earlier.

"He's not the one for you." Dad stated with a sigh after a while.

"Then who is?" I retorted. "Tell me dad, who is?"

Edward just stared at me, not saying a thing.

"Yeah I figured," I said, readjusting my denim jacket and grabbing hold of the door knob.

"Do you even love him?" Edward questioned.

I bulged my eyes and parted my lips slightly. Do I actually love him? I mean I cared for him. He hasn't been around me much lately, basically missing out on all our dates, but I couldn't help but feel worried about him. Did that mean I loved him?

Despite everything, he was a sweetheart, he was so kind. Any girl would love him so why can't I love him?

"I don't know dad." I said. "Maybe," I shrugged.

"Look, I know." He said bluntly, vaguely. "I know all about how he's hurting you emotionally. I tried not to pry. I hoped that maybe you would figure it out on your own but I can't just stand here and watch you get hurt. I know he's not good for you Ness."

"So you're snooping in my head? Dad, I thought we agreed that –"

"I know. We agreed that I leave out of your head." He told me.

I scoffed and narrowed my eyes at him. "Wow, who would think being a snooper required being a betraying loser of a parent." I seethed.

My father's lips parted and eyes of hurt met up with mine. I instantaneously regretted what I had said and I hated the face that I didn't show it.

"Hey!" My mother's voice immediately lingered in the air. "Enough! Both of you!" She shouted out, glaring at both of eyes sternly.

"I cannot believe you two right now. There's a sick, pregnant girl in the living room and you guys thought this was the perfect time to have your father-daughter arguments? Well, all that crap stops now! All this fighting is sickening," My mother mentioned, eying me carefully then the same to my father who hadn't retrieved his eyes on mine, his facial expression, hurt.

"Nessie, how could you talk to your father like that? This is totally not like you!" I stared down at the ground, afraid to look into my mother's eyes of disappointment. "And Edward, there are much subtle ways to approach a situation than snooping in your own daughter's head! She's not a klepto, she's your daughter!" She added and then sighed. "Okay, we'll talk about this later. Nessie, go home, we'll come by in a few."

"No." Edward simply said.

"No?" Bella questioned, staring up at her husband with confusion now covering her fury.

"Let her go to the party. I mean, she demands freedom right? She thinks she's mature enough to handle it, despite the dangers?" He quizzed, but directing them to me. "If you really want to go, be my guest. There's the door." Edward suggested, gesturing to the door.

"Edward, please –"

I stared at my father carefully. I cannot believe this. He's trying to see if I'll crack or break, but I'm determined to show him that I won't.

"Fine," I stated. I spun around and grabbed the door knob, turning it and opening the door, heading out almost too quickly and shut the door.

I released a heavy sigh and descended the porch steps, making my way to my car. I fumbled for my keys in my pockets but couldn't find them. What the heck?

_I must've dropped them inside._

But then a thought that seemed rather reasonable popped in.

_Or maybe my father took them from me in hopes to call his own bluff. _Either way, I am not going back in there.

I stood by my car, leaning against it as I waited for god knows what for almost twenty minutes. I pulled my phone out, about to text Felicity that I'm not going to be able to make it tonight when I heard the garage to lift up. I stood up straight with my head held high as I waited for my dad's lecture.

Instead, as the garage became fully prominent, it was someone I least expected to see.

"Jake, it's you." I sighed as I leaned back against my car.

Now I have another thing to feel absolutely salty about. My feelings for Jake that were stupid and would obviously never get very far.

"Heading out?" He asked.

"Well, as you can see, I want to but I can't…my _father_ took my damn keys." I stated with an eye roll, putting an emphasis on the word 'father'.

Jake nodded his head. "Some fight you pulled out there. I didn't know you had it in you." He stated, waltzing over to me and leaning against my car beside me.

I sighed, crossing my arms together. "Yeah, well, it didn't end quite the way I wanted it to."

Jake smiled slightly.

"I just don't understand what his problem is. I mean, ever since we came here, he's been on my case from dusk till dawn! He's so overprotective!" I told him.

"This is Edward we're talking about. Believe me, I know who he is." He laughed. I smiled.

"Yeah, but at least he's not telling you how to live your life." I said to him. He didn't reply. "I just think that since I'm seven years old, he'd start treating me like an adult."

"If someone not from the supernatural world heard you say that, they'd think you were probably crazy." He mentioned. I giggled, nudging his large arm lightly.

I heard Jake pull out something from his pocket that made a clanging noise and showed it to me. I widened my eyes.

"My keys!" I gasped.

"You dropped them on your way into the living room." He said. I smiled, and stretched my hand out to grab them but he immediately shut his hand, caging the keys in his palm. I frowned. "I don't think you should go to that party."

I deepened my frown. "What? Why?"

"I mean, I thought your dad was unreasonable until he said that thing about the killer. He's right about that. It's not safe." He said.

"Omigosh!" I chuckled non-humorously. "You're on his side, now?"

"Listen, Ness, you can't put yourself in the firing pin." He told me.

"I'm not! I'm just going out with a couple of friends, okay Jake. What's your problem?" I questioned. He pressed his lips together, not answering my question. "Or are you thinking about coming up with a plausible lie?"

"I'm just looking out for you." He told me.

"Well then stop looking out for me! I mean you're just like my dad, you can't accept anything that makes me happy!" I stated harshly. "Y-you don't see me saying anything about you and Lizzie together?" I pointed.

"Me and Lizzie? What does that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, don't act like you haven't noticed! She's totally into you." I stated. He frowned. "You and Lizzie have been oddly close these past days." I pointed out rather too defensively.

Jacob glowered, parting his lips and shaking his head.

"Ness, she's pregnant!"

"But that's obviously not stopping you!" I brought up, sternly. "Every night she's tuck under your arm like a teddy-bear! You guys laugh together. You're obviously having a great time with her so why not marry her and adopt her hybrid child?"

"I was keeping her warm." Jake argued.

I laughed and nodded my head. "Mmm-hmm-hmm-mmm yeah!"

He shook his head, staring down at the ground and played with the keys. He sighed and then looked up at me.

"Nessie, she's your friend!"

I frowned. He's right. She is my friend? Why am I behaving this way?

"What's wrong with you?"

I deepened my frown.

"I don't know," I said to him. I'm arguing at the fact that my best friends are close when in fact, that's not the case. I'm actually getting worked up for the wrong reasons. My friend is dying and I'm worried about her getting too close to the guys I like!

I noticed him staring at me with a weird expression, like he had seen something he had never seen before and it's on the verge of making him laugh. Oh gosh, this is so humiliating. I need to get out of here!

"I gotta go. May I have my keys back?" I asked him. He reluctantly handed them over to me. "Thanks. Excuse me," I stated as I grabbed the door handle. He moved away and I slipped in, shutting the door and slipping my keys in the ignition, pulling out the driveway almost too quickly.

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

"Jake, it's you." She said as she leaned against the car.

Man. She didn't look like the happy Nessie self I loved and it pained me to watch.

"Heading out?" I asked.

"Well, as you can see, I want to but I can't…my _father_ took my damn keys." She stated with an eye roll, straining the word.

I nodded my head. "Some fight you pulled out there. I didn't know you had it in you." I stated, walking over to her and leaning against her car next to her small frame.

She sighed, crossing her arms together. "Yeah, well, it didn't end quite the way I wanted it to."

I smiled slightly. I didn't like seeing Nessie angry, but if she's angry at her father, I actually found it quite hot. Maybe I'm just a meathead who despises her father sometimes but if nobody will put that guy straight, then Nessie can!

"I just don't understand what his problem is. I mean, ever since we came here, he's been on my case from dusk till dawn! He's so overprotective!" She told me in frustration.

"This is Edward we're talking about. Believe me, I know who he is." I laughed. She smiled. Thank god, it came back!

"Yeah, but at least he's not telling you how to live your life." She said to me. I didn't reply because I clearly disagreed because he's telling me exactly how to live my life. If it wasn't for him, Nessie probably wouldn't be with that kid Justin by now.

"I just think that since I'm seven years old, he'd start treating me like an adult."

"If someone not from the supernatural world heard you say that, they'd think you were probably crazy." I mentioned. She giggled, nudging my arm lightly.

I simpered before pulling out a set of car keys from my pocket. She dropped her keys when she came into the living room. I figured I'd give them back, but after the fight she had with Edward, I wanted to probably wait a while before giving them back.

"My keys!" She gasped.

"You dropped them on your way into the living room." I told. She smiled, and extended her hand out to grab them from me but I rapidly enclosed my hand, caging the keys in my palm. She frowned. "I don't think you should go to that party."

"What? Why?"

"I mean, I thought your dad was unreasonable until he said that thing about the killer. He's right about that. It's not safe." I said.

Okay! Yeah! I hate on the guy and praise on his parenting skills afterwards. Shoot me! But I stand by the jackass is right when he says she shouldn't leave. It's not safe out there.

"Omigosh!" She sniggered. "You're on his side, now?"

"Listen, Ness, you can't put yourself in the firing pin." I tried to tell her.

"I'm not! I'm just going out with a couple of friends, okay Jake. What's your problem?" She questioned. I pressed his lips together. "Or are you thinking about coming up with a plausible lie?"

"I'm just looking out for you."

"Well then stop looking out for me! I mean you're just like my dad, you can't accept anything that makes me happy!" She stated harshly. "Y-you don't see me saying anything about you and Lizzie together?" She pointed out.

"Me and Lizzie? What does that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, don't act like you haven't noticed! She's totally into you." She stated. "You and Lizzie have been oddly close these past days." She said defensively.

I glowered, parting my lips and shaking my head. How can she say that? I'm not into Lizzie! I'm into you! You and you only!

"Ness, she's pregnant!"

"But that's obviously not stopping you!" She brought up, sternly. "Every night she's tuck under your arm like a teddy-bear! You guys laugh together. You're obviously having a great time with her so why not marry her and adopt her hybrid child?"

"I was keeping her warm."

"Mmm-hmm-hmm-mmm, yeah!"

He shook my head. How can she think that I'd be in a relationship with a girl if I haven't been in one all these years? Maybe I seemed too close to Lizzie, I don't know but the relationship with Lizzie is said the same with Leah, maybe even less.

But I can't believe Ness would say this about her own friend.

"Nessie, she's your friend!"

Her stern facial expression ceased almost immediately after I said that. She didn't reply.

"What's wrong with you?"

She frowned deeply.

"I don't know," She said to me.

I frowned but then put two and two together. The reason she was acting like this, the reason she was worked up about Lizzie and I was because she either cares for her best friend that much or she's either into me.

And my gut told me to go with the latter.

Nessie had feelings for me. I could feel it. All this time, I thought that maybe she had feelings for me or maybe she only sees me as a friend or brother but now I know she sees me as more than that. I was just too stupid to notice before.

And the little giddy Jakey inside of me began dancing uncontrollably, on the verge of peeing in his pants and screaming because of his insanity. It's taking me a lot not to just kiss her senseless right now.

"I gotta go. May I have my keys back?" She asked me, pulling me away from my internal happy dance.

I reluctantly handed them over to me. "Thanks. Excuse me," She stated, opening the door and hopping into the car.

I moved away so she'd pull off the driveway and when she disappeared, I flashed the biggest grin I had ever had.

I was certain she had feelings for me, that this was not just one-sided. Now, I have to stick to big ole' Eddie's deal and wait for her to say the words. Or maybe I could just break the deal, who knows?

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I stopped by the lawn of Alex's house and banged my head against the steering wheel. Tonight was definitely not my night! I had my first huge fight with my dad and I think I just blew it all away with Jake. I just need to get my mind away from it all.

I heard a light tap on my window that pulled me away from my thought process. I darted my head to see Alex waving at me. I smiled slightly. She gestured for me to open the door.

Alex went over to the passenger side and hopped into the car.

"Where were you? I was starting to think bailing on people was your new thing. You and Justin should form a support group." She joked. I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, touching subject,"

"I got caught up with family matters." I told her truthfully.

"Are you okay?" She asked me. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, yeah of course," I said to her.

The backseat door was immediately opened and Rea hopped into the car. I wrinkled my eyebrows.

"You're coming with us?" I asked her.

"Yeah, of course, I love college parties." She told me. I smiled. "They probably have the most fun when it comes to keg challenges and _Flip-Slip-Strip_, _Beer Pong_, _Edward 40 Hands_ and _Drink-A-Palooza_ are my cup of tea so I can't miss this night, since I have nothing else to do with my life." She said with an expressionless face.

"Um…okay," I replied, starting the car. "I guess we're all going then."

"This is going to be fun!"

… …

"Uh…Nessie, I thought we were going to a college party? Why are we stopping at a city building in Bakersfield?" Alex asked.

"It's not a city building. It's a lab. Felicity told me to meet her here; she wants to show me something." I told her.

"This is Felicity's dad's lab isn't it?" Alex stated. I nodded my head and Alex sighed. "This should be fun," She mentioned. I giggled as we slipped out of the car.

The girls and I made our way over to Felicity and Hunter who had been standing beside Hunter's Aston Martin.

"Hey, Nessie…" She trailed off as she noticed the girls. "I thought it was just us."

"I know but I thought I'd be fun if we had more people. I didn't exactly want to be a third wheel."

"I said you could bring a date." Felicity said to me.

"They are my date…or should I say 'dates'?" I chuckled, draping my arms around Alex and Rea. Rea frowned at me.

"Do not touch me," She said, slipping my arm away from her.

"Okay, well I guess the more the merrier right?" Felicity grinned.

Hunter grinned, giving Alex a quick survey. "Looking good, Alex,"

Alex narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm sorry, are you talking to me?"

Hunter raised his hands up in defense. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Can we get this over and done with?" Alex demanded.

"Uh…yeah, please?" I asked. "Uh, Felicity?" I called, turning to my friend.

"Right…so let me give you a tour of Stone Incorporation." She stated.

We entered and she began ranting on about when her father built this laboratory back in 1996. He started it out in San Jose and then moved onto Bakersfield where all the huge companies were. The lab was built by him, but was endorsed by Reed Enterprises which probably meant why Rea and Felicity were before.

The lab was pretty smart. I mean, it was overwhelming on how amazing it looked. The technology in this building was on point. The lab was created for one sole purpose which was to create chemical explosives for the military, medicine for haphazard diseases, and something else that her father didn't let her on in.

"My dad has built this empire in his prime twenties. He's pretty proud of it." She grinned proudly.

"Now you see where she gets her personality from," Alex whispered to me.

"Now you see here, Room 58-AQ. This is where the real action takes place." She stated, punching in a code on the holographic keyboard and placing her head in between a facial detector.

"Felicity Stone, detected, Access granted." The CPU of some sort mentioned in a female voice with a technical modified tone. The metal shielded entry rolled up rapidly and a mist of smoke smothered our faces.

We all released a series of coughs as Felicity guided us in.

"Don't mind the smoke; it'll die down in a few." She told us, fanning the smoke away before it disappeared. "See. Told you,"

Now we could see the actual room and dumbfounded I was. The room could be something out of a dystopian, sci-fi movie. The lab had a bunch of small tube compartments on one-side and larger tube compartments elsewhere. It was unfathomable how detailed this place was.

"Right here is the Laboratory of Medical Genetics. This unit, located at the 1st floor 3rd block of Policlinic S. Maria alee Scotte, viale Bracci 3, Siena has approximately 530 square meters available. This unit is equipped with the major items required for molecular biology activities. In particular there: a nuclear acids extractor," She said, gesturing to a huge, round compartment. "Three PCR machines, a real-time quantitative PCR machine, two stations for DHPLC analysis (Transgenomics WAVE 1100 DNA fragment Analysis System) if you guys are confused."

"We're already confused, Felicity." I chuckled, glancing at Hunter who seemed to care less what Felicity was talking about.

"Yeah, may you speak English? Mi no ablo technical talk." Alex mentioned, looking up at the gigantic ceiling in awe. She whistled.

Felicity laughed. "I'm sorry. Well…as you see here, there are two machines for automated fluorescent DNA sequencing, a machine for next generation sequencing, a microarray hybridization oven –"

"This place has an oven? Why didn't anyone tell me? I could've whipped up some beef jerky or something." Alex stated.

"Um no…this isn't actually an oven Alex, it's an Array booster." She told her. "Feel free to do it if you want to. So right here, are four independent chambers for the booster, an hybridization oven, a microarray scanner, oh and there's even a fluorescent microscopes – I didn't know dad put those there –" Felicity ranted on.

"Felicity, this is all great and all but, shouldn't we be getting to a party?" I asked the girl. She was so interested in this stuff that I actually forgot she was the same girl who owns designer shoes and bags and likes to go shopping all the time and get mani-pedi's. I'm not saying I thought she was dumb and stuck-up but she wasn't really someone who seemed to have a keen attention to detail.

"Thank you! I didn't want to say anything but this absolutely sucks babe. I'm bored out of my freaking mind." Hunter spoke up for the first time. "So can we get out of this hellhole and get to the party?"

"Oh-oh um okay…" Felicity replied sadly. I smiled sympathetically. "I guess I'll close up then."

Everyone rushed out of the room and I was about to follow when I noticed Felicity just standing there.

"Look, Felicity. This is fun, I won't lie, it's just…not all of us quite understand all of this." I told her. She smiled and nodded.

"It's fine, I just thought it would be fun s'all."

I patted her arm lightly. "I never thought of you as a techno geek."

She sniggered. "I guess I'm not the person everyone thinks I am." She said as she and I began heading out.

"Who is?" I shrugged as we walked out of the room.

As Felicity and I walked out of the lab room, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to answer it.

"Hello," I replied.

"_Renesmee, thank god you answered. Where are you now? Are you at the party?"_ Justin questioned.

"Um…no, I'm with Alex and the others."

"_Where?"_ He demanded.

"At Felicity's dad's lab, why?" I questioned. What was up with him? Why was he so worked up?

I waited for him to answer before he breathed. _"You need to get out of there now! Listen to me, Rens. Get everyone out there now!"_ He demanded.

I frowned, turning to Alex who shrugged her shoulders at me and had an inquisitive look on her face.

"What's going on?" She whispered to me.

"Why?" I asked.

I didn't give him time to answer when suddenly, the whole building shook, as if a seismic wave had hit.

"What's happening?" Felicity retorted.

The walls cracked and the ceiling broke apart, bits and pieces crumbling down. We all screamed as we ran close to each other. I looked up to see a fluorescent light detaching from the ceiling, with all the electric cables, falling our way.

"Watch out!" I screamed as I pushed Felicity to the side, watching the light fall down and streaks of electric currents radiating from the cables flying around before dying down. More ceiling pieces crashed to the ground and we did our best to avoid them all.

What the hell is happening?

The wave suddenly came to a stop. An absolute stop…

I ran my hand through my hair, lifting Felicity off the ground.

"Everyone okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," Alex and Hunter replied.

Then suddenly we heard windows shatter, and glass pieces hitting the ground. Felicity clutched my hand tightly whilst Alex held Rea.

I could hear deep breaths echoing throughout the room, followed by low growls that seemed to be drawing closer at each menacing rumble. It sounded so animalistic, much like the wolves but more ruthless and vicious.

"I'm not the only one who heard that right?" Felicity whispered to no one in particular. I could feel her shaking.

Then suddenly I caught the sight of a gigantic shadow of a figure so eerie, so inhuman.

"Guys, look!" I pointed at the figure.

The imagery of the figure grew even greater as it came closer with each footstep. I then watched as it got down on all fours and released a looming roar which caused all of us to quail.

"Run!" I screamed.


	27. Chapter 27: Running For Our Lives

**RENESMEE'S POV**

We all began heading the opposite direction, with our feet speeding at every step!

We ran down the damaged floor, avoiding any potential hinderers such as pieces of the ceiling. As we all ran frantically, I quickly snuck a glance behind me to see the figure moving fast towards us. It was so dark, I couldn't even get a visual of what it looked like but it was fast and huge. My breathing hitched as I darted my head forward, holding Felicity's hand tightly as we ran.

The hallway was so endless that I didn't know if we'd reach the end.

"Felicity where –?"

"Here! Here!" Felicity shrieked, gesturing to the turn which led us down a flight of steps, four flights of steps to be exact until we found a deserted door.

Felicity hysterically, shakily punched in a code and the door immediately unlocked. She quickly opened the door and ran through with all of us following behind.

Hunter shut the door behind him. He grabbed the first object beside him and slid it in between the door handles.

"What the hell was that thing?" Alex whispered with a panicked breath, asking no one in particular.

"We need to get out of here," I told them. "Felicity, where is the nearest exist?" I asked her.

"The nearest exit is on the fifth floor. There's an elevator there which will lead us on ground floor." She told us.

Then as if on cue, there was a loud bang against the indestructible steel door. Or at least I thought it was indestructible. The banging continued for more than several times, leaving dents on the steel until the banging came to a stop. I eyed my friends carefully, as we waited for a minute before releasing a sigh.

"I think it's gone." I muttered.

"I don't think it's going to hold him off much longer though." Hunter breathed.

I scanned the vacant area, trying to figure out where we were. It was a dark room with only the red light bulb as a source of light.

"Can somebody tell me what that thing was in the first place?" Felicity cried out, although she knew none of us knew the answer to that question.

"Felicity, where are we?" I asked her, pulling her away from her frantic trance.

Felicity shrugged as she scanned the room. "I think this is the crypt. Well the crypt for supplies."

"A lab has a supply closet?" Rea questioned.

"Yeah, this place has to stay spotless somehow." Felicity mentioned casually. I sighed.

"We need to look for a way out." I stated, running my hands over the thick walls.

The rest of the group helped in doing the same thing.

"Guys, don't hit anything. We don't know if that…thing is still out there." Alex mentioned as she roamed her hands around the area. "He could hear us."

"He could probably hear us now," Rea mentioned as she climbed up on something and running her hand on the ceiling. "Isn't there a vent or something?"

"Rea, it's a closet." Felicity stated as she pulled her phone out, putting on the flashlight and began moving dirty mops around. She gasped when she found something. "Guys, I think I found a way out."

We all stopped what we were doing and ran over to her. She handed the phone to me and reached for the door handle. Promptly after, the clanging nose returned.

"Felicity, hurry!" Alex retorted.

"I-it doesn't want to open!" She said nervously, pushing and pulling the handle harshly.

The banging noise grew closer, stronger, louder…scarier.

Hunter stepped in, pushing his girlfriend to the side and throwing a powerful kick at it before it opened wide, viciously. He ushered us to get in and he followed behind us. There we were met with another flight of stairs that we unknowingly descended quickly until we came across two large doors that we pushed open.

"We're in the 5th floor parking lot," Felicity confirmed as she eyed all the cars lined up in their individual parking. "Here!" She said, gesticulating to the 'Exit' sign. We all rushed over to it where we were met with another door that we opened and hurried into.

We were now met with a concealed elevator. Hunter hurriedly pressed the button a bunch of times, tapping his feet impatiently.

"Come on!" He shouted, smashing his hand against it.

"Hunter!" Felicity retorted. Hunter just snarled at her.

It was at that moment, the growls we heard from before grow closer and closer. I could hear the vast steps of the creature coming at our way. And it was fast. The elevator doors finally opened.

"Guys!" Alex screamed as she gestured to the large claws scraping on the glass doors.

We all rushed into it the elevator, watching as the creature came nearer. In a blinding flash, it came our way the minute the elevator doors collided again, sealing it shut. I couldn't even get a visual of what it was; all I saw was a piercing red, luminous sight.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Felicity sniveled out, streaming down fresh tears. She sniffled. "Oh my god!"

"Is this some sort of joke? What the hell is that?" Alex demanded.

I was too shocked to even answer, despite not having an accurate answer either. I suddenly heard my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pulled out to see Luke's Caller ID.

"Luke?" I questioned.

"_No, it's Justin. We're here, where are you guys now?"_ He asked me.

"Justin!" I sighed. "Don't come here! There's something chasing after us and –"

"_Where are you now?"_ He repeated, this time more sternly. I frowned.

"In an elevator, looking for a way out of this place," I replied to him truthfully. I looked up to see all my friends staring at me.

"Ask him where he is," Alex mouthed to me.

"Where are you?" I asked him.

The elevator doors suddenly opened, and we were now met with Justin and Luke. I released a sigh, running over to Justin and throwing my arms around him. Thank god he was here!

"Are you okay?" He asked me, his breath on my head as he held me tight.

"I will be when we get out of this place." I told him as we pulled away. I frowned at him. "How did you get here?"

Justin and Luke turned to each other before back at me.

"Justin and I entered through the backdoor, it was pretty easy, and I knew exactly where it was." Luke replied. Felicity frowned at him. "Don't ask how I know the inventory of this building. I just do."

"Enough chit-chat, we need to get out of here." Hunter grumbled, his eyes lingered forward, behind all of our heads. His eyes immediately widened. "Holy crap," He murmured.

We all darted our heads, following his gaze to see critters crawling fast towards us. Normally, creepy crawlies would be small, annoying creatures, but these were an exception. They were twice the size, maybe even triple!

"I just peed a little," Alex mentioned.

The gang and I immediately headed for the elevator again, pressing all the buttons peevishly.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Justin said vigorously, glancing back at the critters that drew nearer towards us.

"Screw the damn elevator!" Luke stated, heading up the large steps with us following his tail. As I reached the steps, I spun around to see Justin stuck behind.

"Justin, come on!" I called.

"Yeah, I'm coming! Go ahead!" He shouted, throwing prevailing kicks and punches at a bunch of them, causing them to fall back flat. I enlarged my eyes. Was he crazy? "Go!" He shouted.

I groaned and followed the rest of my friends' tail.

"Let's get in here! Here!" Felicity told us, motioning to a lab room. She punched in a code that opened the access and we all sauntered in.

The electromagnetic entry shut behind us. Alex and I released a sigh of relief; well relief wasn't really the word for it.

"Where's Justin?" Alex asked me.

"H-He said he'll find us here."

"You left my brother out there with those…things?" Alex questioned.

"He'll be fine." Luke injected.

Promptly after he said that, a knock reached our ears. Felicity and I ran over to the door, she peaked through the glass.

"It's Justin," She said as she punched in the code on the holographic keyboard.

Justin entered soon after and Felicity quickly shut the door behind him.

"What the hell just happened?" Rea questioned rhetorically.

"Okay, now can somebody please explain to me what the hell is going on because I'm freaking out here?"

"I don't know and I don't care. We need to just call the cops!" Felicity stated, rummaging through her handbag and pulling her phone out.

"Wait!" Luke called.

We all darted our heads at the scrawny, redheaded boy.

"What do you mean 'wait'?" Hunter questioned bluntly.

"I mean wait! Let's think rationally okay, whatever's out there..." He paused, glancing at Justin who seemed to be on full panic mode, hardly engaging in the conversation. "Whatever's out there could very well get them killed."

"Your dad is the captain of a highly decorated, fully-armored police force!" Hunter fought back. Luke sighed.

"I'm calling," Felicity pointed out like there was no discussion to be made, this had to happen and frankly, she was right.

"Look, Felicity," Luke called, grabbing hold of her hands and stopped her from dialing. "If you call the cops, they'll know you –we are here without consent, so that's basically trespassing or even treason because your dad will find out too."

Felicity widened her eyes in realization. "Oh my god, you're right."

"Screw it! It's a risk we're going to be willing to take." Hunter stated.

"If no one's going to call the cops, I will." Alex mentioned, pulling her phone out and dialing 911. Luke tried to intervene but Hunter pushed him away. I enclosed my fingers, trying to keep myself from shaking as I watched my friends freak out.

What the hell is happening? Why is it happening? W-what was that creature that chased after us? And those critters? How did Justin know what was happening? These were the questions flooding my brain.

"Hello, we're trapped in Stone Incorporations. We're being chased after something." Alex said to the police officer. I mouthed to her to tell the officer the number of people. "T-there's seven of us,"

"_We understand your problem; however, are you being chased by something or someone?"_ The officer asked.

"I don't know, does that matter?" Alex retorted bluntly. "It's dark out here; we don't know a way out."

"_Will you describe the person?"_

"I told you I don't know what it is! And how can I describe it if I can't even see who/what it is." Alex shouted. "What kind of police department are you?"

"_We can't help you if you don't tell us what we're looking for."_

"Then just come the hell over here and then you'll see what I'm talking about." She argued.

"_Are you endangered?"_

Alex looked up at all of us, flashing a distorted, puzzled, angry look. She shook her head. We all sighed. I couldn't keep my eyes away from Justin though. He seemed really quiet, distant and panicky about this whole situation. He had this odd guilt-ridden look on his face, like he had something to do with it.

"Lord help me," She whispered. "I wouldn't be calling your dumbass station if I wasn't endangered, now would I?" Alex huffed.

"_Are you aware that there's a curfew?"_ The male officer's thick, raspy voice said, seeming not fazed that he and the station is being critiqued.

"No, no I'm not." Alex stated. I could sense the sarcasm in her tone.

"_We were expecting prank calls happening tonight –"_

"Hand me the phone," Felicity stated. Alex handed the phone over to the blonde girl willingly and raised her hands up in surrender. "Hello, mister! I'm the daughter of the owner of Stone Incorporations, so I suggest you get your entire team over here –" But she stopped herself when she heard a stringing line. She furrowed her eyebrows, handing the phone back to Alex.

"He hung up on me," Felicity stated.

Hunter groaned, beginning his pace around the room with his hands placed on his head.

"This is totally not happening, right now." Rea grumbled, her arms crossed and her body stature, motionless.

I sighed. "Okay, so what do we do?" I questioned, placing my hand on my forehead. "I mean, we can't exactly just walk out, I mean we don't know what's out there and there's no way out of this room is there?"

Felicity roamed the area, looking for possible way outs but finding nothing. She shook her head, confirming my thoughts.

"This is one of the rooms that don't have an extra door or air vent. The chemicals in here could cause a reaction and the whole building could be destroyed, maybe even blown to bits." She sighed. She silenced herself almost immediately, her face lighting up. "The whole building could be blown into bits." She repeated, with a light squeal.

We all gave her weird looks.

"Felicity, now's not the time for your schemes of getting us all killed okay?" Alex pointed out.

"No, I mean…" She trailed off, running over to the table. She just pressed a button and a holographic map appeared. This perked up interest around the room and we went over to her, rallying around the platform. "Every room in this building has some sort of asset inside it. This room here, holds Acetylene gases on the fifth floor," She mentioned, pointing at Room 123-QR, this room here, holds the ammonia or azane gas, it's a colorless gas with a very pungent smell. Room 45-RS contains butane, which is an alkaline with four carbon atoms, it's also commonly known as Liquefied petroleum gas." She stated.

"Okay, so what does this mean?" Luke asked her.

"Well, notice this, all of these gases have one thing in common…" She paused, glancing at all of us with a hopeful smile. "They're all inflammable,"

"So what you're saying is you want to blow this building up? With us in?" Alex questioned.

"What I'm saying is, we can use these gases to activate a nuclear reaction." She smiled. We all frowned. "Basically, we want to make a bomb."

"So you're definitely going to blow this place up?" I pointed out, confirming what Alex posed.

"Whatever's chasing us," She said. "If we can lure the creature or whatever to us, maybe we can actually destroy it."

"So you want to create a bomb that will kill this thing?" Justin questioned. Felicity nodded her head.

"Correct,"

"How the heck are you going to do that?" Hunter quizzed.

"And isn't that going to take like, I don't know, forever?" Alex pointed out.

"Not if I do it right." Felicity said. "And I have you guys to help me."

"Felicity, don't you see that this is like borderline, crazy and impossible?" I said to her.

"It's not!" She replied, giving off a light chuckle as if we were all silly. "Have you noticed that everything in here," She scoffed, skimming her eyes around the room. "Everything we need to make a firebomb and reaction is in here. A Sulfur Mustard which will react on the skin, Benzyl Bromide, a Molotov cocktail –"

"We're going to throw a 'Poor man's grenade' at him?" Luke answered, staring at Felicity as if she was crazy. She nodded her head. "Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"It will work! Trust me!" She stated, staring at all of our concerned, scared faced.

Then suddenly, we heard deep growling and seething coming from outside. We all flinched, ganged up on each other and holding each other tight.

"Felicity, you better get those bombs ready." Alex stated.

I watched as Luke reached in his pocket, pulling his phone out and pressed a number on speed dial.

This is Captain Fitzpatrick; I can't get back to you. Leave a message.

"Dad, it's me. Get to the Stone laboratory. I think we have a problem" He said, before shoving his phone back in his pocket. The growling soon died down and everyone visibly began relaxing, however, I could sense the tenseness. Everyone just needed to get out.

Felicity ran over to the cabinets.

"Does anybody have something to break into glass?" She asked in frustration as she held up petri dishes, tubes, reagent bottles, funnels and beakers. Hunter rolled his eyes, smashing his fist into a glass cabinet whilst Rea picked the locks.

Felicity worked her magic, I could she was in the zone with it all, throwing in a bunch of chemicals with us having to move away when chemicals blocked our noses, despite wearing goggles. But Felicity, she wasn't bothered at all, she was so focused that touching her would probably not affect a thing. She had such precision when making the bombs (that would sound crazy if someone below the law heard it). This was totally illegal and we could go to jail after all this is done.

"Alex, hand me the methanol," Felicity uttered. Alex grabbed the glass bottle and handed over to Felicity who poured it into the bottle of cocktail. "Hunter, hand me kerosene," She stated quickly. He did exactly as told and she mixed a cloth with the substance. "Renesmee, give me the sulfuric acid," She said to me. I obliged and I watched as she shook the bottle lightly, stirring it before placing the cloth and the cap on.

"I'm done with all the bombs and the two reactions." She sighed. We all stared at her in absolute shock. "Now all that's left is the bait." She said.

"What bait?"

"Someone willing enough to stand in the firing pin," Felicity stated. All our heads involuntarily turned over to Luke who seemed oblivious for a second before hanging his mouth wide.

"Why must I be the bait?"

"Nobody wants you," Alex giggled.

"Your non-meaty bones can attract the creatures. All we need is you to stand in the middle while two people throw the bombs and you throw the reactor. Nothing will happen to you." Felicity said to him.

He sighed. "God, I hate you people." He said, grabbing one glass and heading to the door.

Hunter grabbed the next one and followed Luke.

When I watched as Justin took the last one, my heart suddenly began picking up. He'd be risking his life for all of us. They all were.

"Justin," I whispered, gripping his arm. He turned to me. "Be careful out there. This better not be the last time I see you. You throw the bomb and you get back here, fast!"

"I promise." He told me with a small smile before following the other boys. I could sense all their nerves radiating off them.

"Wait!" Felicity uttered before hopping onto one of the chairs and gliding over to one of the dozens of computers I had no idea were in the room. She began typing down a bunch of numbers and letters. A bunch of images popped up on the screens. "'Kay, everything seems to be clear," She hummed to herself before pulling out three chest pieces and jogging over to the boys in her 3-inch heels.

"Almost forgot," She hummed. "I've set up a live surveillance camera," She said, pointing to the images on the screens. "We'll be keeping an eye out on all of you. And you three have to wear these pieces on you at all times!"

"What for?"

"So we can communicate with you, tell you when you're getting hot or cold. You thought we were just going to sit here and watch you all die. Where's the fun in that?" She giggled, placing the piece on Hunter's shirt collar.

I noticed Luke eying the scene carefully, a sense of hurt on his face. I smiled empathetically.

"Okay…have fun!" Felicity stated. The boys glared at her. "Oh, is that a little too canny? Okay," She replied awkwardly, punching in the code before the doors immediately opened.

I clutched Alex's hand tightly, gripping it for dear life as I watched the boys walk out of it before the entry door shut almost instantaneously.

Felicity spun around, running back to her seat and typing in a code. An image of the building's map popped up and she grabbed her headphone.

"Okay, girls, I'm going to need your help." She said to us. We went up to her, standing behind her. "Please check out the screens, tell me what you see." She said, typing something down.

I looked up at all the large computer screens showing surveillances of the empty building of all the floors and elevators.

"Just an empty buildings,"

"Everywhere empty?" Felicity asked us, moving around her mouse.

"Yeah,"Alex replied.

"That doesn't make any sense." She frowned. "Code J-Dawg, what do you have on sight?"

"Code J-Dawg?" I frowned at my friend.

"Yeah, I gave you all codenames; I don't want anybody to know our identities when we're committing a felony. Oh, I'm wondering why you guys haven't given me one yet." She pointed out. Alex and I turned to each other and shook our heads. "Nobody's giving me a codename?" Felicity pouted her bottom lip. "We'll work on it,"

"Felicity, we don't see anything." Hunter mentioned.

"Try sniffing out the scent," Felicity said. I watched on the screen as Justin stiffed up. "A little 'on the verge of being murdered or in luck, being arrested' humor, okay guys…chill."

"It's a little hard to chill when you're regretting wearing white underwear, Felicity!" Luke replied. "Oh god, I'm pretty sure I'll get a surprise of my life come laundry day."

"Guys, can we all focus here!" I said, bending down to Felicity's length and speaking on her earpiece.

"W-wait! Wait! What's that?" I heard Alex call out in panic, pointing at one of the screens.

"The third floor screen just blacked out," Rea said.

"No, no, no. That shouldn't be happening," Felicity mentioned as she glided over to the 12th computer, pressing the on and off button vigorously but nothing budged.

"What's happening?" Hunter questioned.

"Oh nothing, we just lost signal on one of the computers. No biggie," Felicity said in absolute frustration.

"Can you get it back?" Rea asked Felicity.

"Uh-uh I'm trying!" Felicity mentioned.

"Where are these freaks?" Luke brought up.

I looked at the third computer, scanning it carefully. I watched a dark figure, gush past incredibly fast.

"I just saw something!" I shrieked. "It's heading to the fourth floor." I told Felicity.

"Guys, get ready!" Felicity said to the boys. Alex began gnawing her bottom lip. I noticed her clutching the necklace that had both hers and Seth's initials on it tightly.

I frowned, noticing I was doing the exact same thing with the necklace Jake made me for my birthday.

"We hear something!" Hunter told us all.

As if on cue, the lights of the first computer blacked out as well. My eyes widened at the sudden change.

"What's happening with this thing?" Felicity blubbered out in, alternating a thwarting look.

"Guys! I can't see!" Luke cried out.

Suddenly, I heard soft, steady, calm yet vicious pants of a breath reach my ears and then growling appeared.

"Throw the bottle!" Felicity shouted at the boys.

When I heard a glass shatter and a blast, I heard the sounds of howling and a whimper of agony.

"Run! Run!" Justin screamed as I assumed they all began running away from the scene.

We heard loud vigorous knocks on the door. Felicity rushed up and quickly typed the code before the door opened and immediately closed shut as the boys returned.

Hunter and Luke stood there, panting like absolute mad dogs, their faces filled with sweat.

Alex and Felicity ran over to them, helping them up.

"We don't know what it was but we're sure it was an animal!" Hunter stated, wheezing uneven breaths in.

I eyed the set of boys and noticed what was missing from the picture…specifically whom.

"Where's Justin?" I asked in frantic. The boys stared at each other and then back at the door.

All the worst possible outcomes came flooding into my head as I ran over to the computer, grabbing the headphone.

"Justin! Justin! Justin!" I cried out.

"You left my brother out there you freaking idiots!" Alex shouted, punching Luke in the arm numerous times. "No!"

"Justin, answer me!" I cried –my voice cracking as I called out for his name.

His dead! He is dead!

I waited, and waited, and waited for forty seconds before I heard a rough signal frequency sound before I heard the voice I needed to hear.

"I'm on the third floor."

I released a sigh of relief. "What the hell are you doing on the third floor?"

Alex came over to me and snatched the headphone from me, placing the microphone piece by her mouth.

"You dingus! Get the hell out of there!" Alex shouted out angrily, although, I watched the tears streaming down her face. "Everything's fine, just get back, please."

"Just wait." Justin replied.

Just then, the pop-up computer screens came back on and we could see everything now.

I noticed Justin leaning against the wall, with a bottle in his hand. I heard critter sounds and I watched as those five-foot insect looking mutations ascend up the staircase. My eyes widened.

"Justin! Run! Get out of there! Run!" I told him.

"No." I heard him reply.

"What do you mean 'no'?" I demanded. "You promised me you wouldn't get yourself killed."

I watched as he lifted his head, looking up at the camera before slipping his earpiece out.

"Don't!" Alex and I cried out, but it was too late.

He smashed the earpiece on the ground, and we lost the signal again. My eyes widened.

"No! No!" Alex sobbed, banging the headphone in frustration.

I can't believe this.

… …

After almost thirty minutes, hearing Alex curse her brother, Felicity screaming about what just happened and Hunter pacing up a storm, I couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going out." I told them all.

"What? Are you crazy?"

"You can't go out there all alone. You could get yourself killed!" Luke stated.

"Then we're all going to get ourselves killed, then?" I pointed out.

We all stared at each other before nodding our heads. Felicity got us out and we all reluctantly stepped out of the room.

The six of us began heading down the hallway, warily, looking for any sign of danger lurking.

"Guys, where's the body?" Felicity asked. "It should've been here."

"Okay, this is officially giving me a hive!" Rea mentioned.

"Let's just go –" I didn't give myself time to finish my sentence when I suddenly heard a vicious snarl of an animal pull me away and we all spun around to see a huge mountain lion coming our way.

We all gave out the loudest screams, finding ourselves running away but were halted when we watched a gushed arrow slit right through its body, killing it almost instantly.

I watched as a dark, human figure run off so fast I was sure the rest didn't catch it but me.

"What was that?"

The sound of police sirens pulled us away from our shockwave of emotions. We all turned on our heels, heading down to the elevator and to the ground floor without looking back.

When we found ourselves seeing the outside of the building through the doors and relief coursed through my body and as the doors opened, it became more eminent. There we were met with our families.

I spotted my family first, my mom, dad and Jake and ran over to them. I threw my arms around mom, holding her tight to me. My mom draped her arms around me in return.

"I'm so glad you're here." I told them. "I'm so glad you were all here." I said to the rest as I pulled away from my mom.

I noticed Jake staring at me with the most painful eyes I could imagine. He looked so foreign to me. I had never seen him in that state before. I threw my arms around him, despite being too small to even reach. He bent down and lifted me up.

"I'm so glad you're okay," He whispered in my ear, his voice slightly breaking. He kissed the side of my face.

I pulled away as he sat me down. I smiled at him slightly and then there was only one. My dad. I could see anger flared in his eyes, it was so scary.

I looked up at him. "D-dad, I'm so –"

"Don't you ever do that to me again, peanut." He cried, pulling me into his chest, planting his kiss on the top of my head. "Now you know why I'm like this. This is the outcome." He said, but shockingly pulled away way too quickly and walking away.

"D-dad I-I –"

I tried to stop him but I knew it was no point. He was disappointed in me, he was angry and I don't blame him. I was too immature to accept his warning.

Bella ran her hand over my head.

"H-How did you guys know?" I asked them.

"We had to follow you. We knew you were in trouble." Bella said to me.

I stared at Jake, who stared down at me with eyes I really couldn't explain. He was so blank. Something happened that I had no idea about.

"W-what happened?" I asked.

Bella looked at Jake for a second before turning back to me. "We got in the building when we heard screams. Your father and I looked for you all over the building but we couldn't find you, and when Jake and Seth smelt your scent…" She paused. "The bomb you created, the bomb you guys threw…I-it got too close and…" She could barely finish her sentence.

I turned to Jake, scanning him carefully to see if anything had happened to him and then I realized something. Seth wasn't with them.

"M-mom, d-did Seth-?" I tried to muster out a word but couldn't without getting choked up. I began hyperventilating.

My mother held my body tight.

"No, no, no. Seth is alive. He's alive." She assured me. I stared at her. "Luckily the bomb wasn't lethal enough to do that much damage but…he got blisters all over his body, third degree burns… Carlisle's working on fixing him, putting him on meds but he's healing. He'll be fine." My mother assured me.

I nodded my head, slightly but not convinced. I turned around to see Alex talking to her parents. I couldn't imagine how she would feel if she lost Seth. Heck, I couldn't imagine what she'd do. If it were my imprint, I'd go insane.

Makes me wonder what Jake –

"Mr. Stone, what do you have locked up in one of your lab rooms?" Captain Fitzpatrick questioned.

I noticed a very handsome man in a dark suit with a strongly lean stature, broad shoulders, beach sunburned skin with sky blue eyes and graying hair standing beside Felicity, holding her by the waist. He didn't look older than forty, maybe forty-five. He must be Felicity's dad.

"I don't understand."

"It looks to me that when we investigated the premises, we found a lab room entry broken out of with what looks to be something animalistic. So I repeat the question, what do you have down in Room 626?" Captain Fitzpatrick questioned again.

"My daughter almost died in this building and you're accusing me of keeping something animalistic?" Mr. Stone fought.

"We're not accusing you of anything, it's just an evaluation." Captain Fitzpatrick stated.

"Well, get a warrant!" Mr. Stone stated, turning around holding Felicity tight. I knew something was fishy but I really didn't have the energy to question it.

"Let's go," Bella told me. I nodded my head. She went over to my father whilst Jake and I followed slowly behind.

"I-I'm sorry about Seth," I told him.

He nodded his head. "H-he's just glad you're okay. I'm glad you're okay." He said. "I came so close to losing you."

I stopped and held his hand, making him look at me.

"You didn't. You still have me okay? For a long time," I assured him. I placed my hand on his cheek and projected my thoughts. _Always._

He mustered up a small curve of the lip and nodded his head.

"Renesmee," I heard a voice pull us apart. I turned around to see Justin staring at me.

If I couldn't blink, I'd probably be blind. It was like seeing someone waking up from the dead. It didn't look like the same person to me.

I felt Jake tense beside me and took a step forward, however, not enough for Justin to notice because me telling him not to move. I looked up Jake, seeing him give Justin a nasty look.

"Can you leave us alone for a bit?" I asked him.

Jake glanced back at me before walking off to my dad's Volvo.

I turned to Justin. "You're alive, that's a relief." I said sarcastically.

"Renesmee –"

"I'm leaving now, Justin," I said, crossing my arms together and staring at my parents' car. "H-how could you do that Justin? How could you leave me stranded there, worried sick about you?"

"I-I know, I was stupid and I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"You're right. It won't," I chuckled. "That's what you said when you missed my calls, avoided me at school, missed on dates."

"I-I'm sorry, I was just so caught up with work and"

"No. It's not. You just don't want to tell me what it is."

He stared at me, realizing I knew exactly what he was talking about.

"If I told you, you wouldn't understand." He said.

"Have you even tried?" I questioned. "Have you tried telling me?"

"I-It's not that easy. This new me –"

"The new you who miss dates, not having time for friends, ditching school? If that's you, then it's good to know." I stated as I began walking away.

"No-no! Don't leave." He halted in front of me. "Just hear me it! I love you, I love you so much Renesmee –"

"Justin, please stop!"

"The reason I've been this way, the reason I'm like this is because I –"

I shook my head. "Please, stop. I-I can't." I told him. "After tonight, I realized that life is too short. Life is too short of believing in promises people can't keep. People who you know can't keep their promises."

"W-what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't want you to call me, or text me anymore." I said to him. "Just leave me alone." I concluded as I began walking away from him, tears brimming silently from my eyes.

"Nessie," Bella whispered to me.

"Please, let's just go mom?" I asked her.

She nodded her head and went over to the passenger side. As I was about to open the backseat door, I heard a chorus of screams and gasps coming from behind.

"Felicity! Felicity!" I heard Luke's voice cry out.

I spun around to see my best friend lying flat on the ground, essentially motionless as everyone gathered around her.

"Nessie!" I heard my mother and Jake's voice utter out as I began running over to the scene.

"She was talking to me and she just, collapsed!" Alex stated, letting tears fall down her cheek.

"We need to get her to the hospital!"

… …

**A/N: OMG! This chapter was so dark! I am evil. Don't hate. I actually like to hear praise, but who praises dark? **

**Hope you liked it though. **

**Who's happy about Justin and Nessie breakup? Wasn't Felicity just awesome here? What were those creatures? Who was the archer? **

**Happy (Belated) 4****th**** of July/Independence Day to all my fellow Americans! **

**REVIEW!**


	28. Chapter 28: Nothing Else Matters

**RENESMEE'S POV**

After seeing Felicity being placed in a stretcher by the EMTs and into the ambulance van, Alex, Rea and I immediately got into my car and followed. To my parents dismay, of course, but they needed to understand that I needed to make sure my friend was okay, I wouldn't sleep not knowing what's going on with her. Shockingly, they willingly –more like halfheartedly willing – let me go but needed me home soon.

So now, my friends and I were sitting in the waiting area, panicking over the events that took place tonight and on the other side, worrying about Felicity.

"Felicity's stepmom is with the doctor. Her dad had work stuff…" Alex said sadly, with her hand soothing the tension on her neck as she spoke to her parents over the phone. "Yeah, I'm okay. We're just waiting to hear what happened to her."

"She just collapsed onto the ground, that's why we're here, to find out what happened." Alex answered to a manly voice, so I assumed her father was talking. "I promise you dad, I'm okay. I'll be home soon…" She assured him. "Okay, love you. Bye." She ended off, hanging up and placing her phone to the side, releasing a sigh.

She was just as worried about Felicity as I was. I mean, despite everything, she cared for Felicity and that's something a true friend would do.

I looked up to see Mrs. Stone coming towards us, talking to a very shaken up Luke –who got here way before we did and literally lost his mind when watched the girl he loved go unconscious in front of him.

Mrs. Stone tells Luke to sit down before making her way over to us.

"Is she okay, Mrs. Stone?" Alex asked her.

Mrs. Stone smiled faintly. I was pretty shocked that she was Felicity's stepmom. She looked like she could actually be her mom, because they looked alike to the tee.

She sighed. "The doctors say she uh, had a fugue state I guess. She suffered a concussion, an allergic reaction which I didn't know she had and when she fell she broke her ankle…" She trailed off, pressing her lips into a thin line. She was trying to hold it together but was breaking. "She'll be fine. They're putting her on meds."

"I don't know what happened, but whatever happened, I came close to losing my daughter and I will not stand for that." She said firmly.

We all nodded our heads.

"Felicity just wanted to show us the lab," I told her.

"Yeah, and things just went haywire from there." Rea told her truthfully.

Mrs. Stone replied with a sigh. "Felicity had always been fascinated with her dad's work." She said.

"You girls should go home. It's getting pretty late. I-I will call you when Felicity can have visitors." She told us.

I turned my head over to the girls who were staring back at me. We all looked really beat. We nodded our heads.

"Yeah, um…just let Felicity know that we were here." Alex told her.

"Of course," Mrs. Stone told us. She turned back to Luke. "And uh…take him with you? He's determined to stay here until she wakes up and that's really worrying me."

"We'll take him." I replied with a smile. She nodded her head.

"Mrs. Stone?" A woman, who looked familiar, came up to her. I knew then where I knew her from, I bumped into her a few weeks back. She was Justin's mom.

God! The mere thought of his name made me sick to my stomach.

"We need you to sign a few documents." Justin's mother – the nurse – said to her. Felicity's stepmom nodded her head, glancing back at us before walking away with the nurse.

I sighed, turning to my friends.

"I'm gonna go home. I TiVoed Jaws III." Rea told us. Alex and I chuckled and I nodded my head. "Be safe, okay?" She told us.

"Yeah," Alex replied.

"You too," I told her before watching her walk away from us, glancing at look for a second before slipping out of the hospital.

Luke looked so miserable, it actually hurt to watch. I gave Alex a pouty look and shrugged my shoulders.

"Poor Luke," I told her.

"Let's go give him a breather," She replied. We walked over to him. Alex patted his knee lightly. "Dude, you need to go to bed."

He didn't reply.

"She'll be okay, Luke. Felicity's mom told us the doctors' are putting her on a bunch of medications." I assured him.

"I'm not going until she wakes up." He told us.

Alex and I stared at each other with defeated looks before turning back to the redhead.

"If that's what you want, squirt. But don't blame us if Felicity's mom puts a restraining order against you." Alex stated. Luke grinned.

"Who would do that? Everyone loves me!"

"And his back," Alex said as she draped her arm around mine and began walking away, with me beside her. "Um…have you heard anything from Seth today?"

My heart literally thudded faster than its usual pace. Memories of my mother telling me about what happened to Seth flooded through my brain. I didn't want to lie to Alex but I had to.

"Uh, no, not really. Why?" I asked.

"Well, when I called and he didn't answer yet texted me, I found that strange. He never texts me, well besides when we're both about to sleep but…I don't know." She sighed. "I have this feeling like something's wrong, you know?"

I nodded my head. Believe me, I know.

"I'm sure he's fine." I stated. She smiled as we walked out of the hospital.

… …

After dropping Alex off at her house, I made my way back home. I waltzed into the main Cullen house to a grim aura. The scent of happiness wasn't radiating all over the house like it used to, it's more like mixed emotions now.

As I reached the living room, I saw Emmett and Jasper watching a baseball match but weren't cheering or joking or fighting over which team is better between The Mets or the Yankees like they used to. It was just…dull.

"Where's everyone?"

"In Carlisle's office." Jasper replied.

"Or should I say, the 'break/panic room'" Emmett joked, although it wasn't intended to be funny.

I immediately walked away, sauntering my way over to the office where I heard a couple of voices.

I inhaled a deep breath as I held the doorknob. If I walk in, I'll be met with all the heavy guilt I carry about all the people I love, getting hurt. I mean from Lizzie's situation, Seth getting hurt, my huge argument with my dad and my regret with Jake. This should be an intense entry.

I found myself turning the knob and letting myself into the room.

All eyes immediately landed on me and my guilt just went on overdrive.

"Nessie, you're home." My mother smiled at me.

Despite seeing the one thing I loved that didn't seem angry, my mom, I couldn't get past all the faces I hurt. Seth was the one I couldn't shake off the most since his was the most obvious of all. His entire upper body had been covered with gauzes. His face was all red, sweaty and bruised. His legs covered in blisters, and the parts that weren't covered, I could see burns.

"I'm good, Nessie." I heard Seth say to me which involuntarily caused me to pull away from my trance. "It's just a little sting."

I stared at him, blinking.

Was he crazy? _That_ was most definitely not a sting.

Carlisle was next to speak. "If I give him the correct dose of his medication and his healing contributes, he'll be good in no time."

"I just welcomed him to the club." Lizzie chuckled weakly. I noticed her rubbing her protruding stomach lightly, whilst taped to her IV. Rosalie stood beside her, smiling down at her and stroking her head.

"Who knew being hospitalized would be so much fun? I don't know what you guys complain about. Free special treatment all day long is something I'll take any day." Seth mentioned and Esme immediately scolded him, causing a few chuckles to linger here and there.

"How's Felicity doing? Is she okay?" My mother asked me as she stood beside me.

"Uh, yeah s-she's good." I replied, stuttering because I didn't trust my voice as I watched the two physically pained people joke together.

"You're going to have a roomie while you're in here." Seth told Lizzie.

"Oh, you're going to be out in no time." Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"I could hurt him for you?" Jake pointed out with a smile.

I frowned. How could he be happy when he was so close to losing his beta today? I-I would be going crazy!

I rolled my eyes as my eyes landed on my father who had his eyes on me before he quickly shifted them away. I sighed.

"You should try on this gauze, it's comfortable." Seth jested.

A couple of people laughed but I didn't.

Jake was staring at me and I couldn't help but fall prey to it, transfixing my eyes with his. I couldn't dare move my eyes from his and I hated that.

"I think I'm going home." I told my mom.

"You want me to –?"

I shook my head immediately. "No, no, I'm good. Don't rush." I smiled before saying goodbye to everyone.

… …

I walked into my bedroom, shrugged my jacket off my shoulders and threw it on my bed. I slipped into something comfortable, tied my hair in a ponytail and shrugged my sweater on.

I sighed as I sauntered over to the window seat. I sat down, leaning my back against the wall and pulling my legs up my chest.

I heard light taps on my door and when I didn't reply, the door was immediately ajar. My mother entered the room with a small smile.

"Are you okay?" She asked me.

"How can they all joke about this? Joking about dying?! I mean who does that?" I retorted to my mother as she walked up to me. "'Oh, I broke my spine but I want to go snowboarding'. I mean, I'm not crazy right? That's messed up." I said to my mother with a sigh of frustration.

"Some people just deal with pain in other ways," She said to me as she took a seat. "But it seems to me that something else is bothering you." She told me.

I stared at my mother who knew me all too well. I sighed and shook my head.

"Tonight was all my fault." I told her. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Everything that had happened tonight was all my fault. If I hadn't gone to the party, if I had just listened to all of you, I-if I didn't blow dad's head off…" I trailed off, placing my fingers on my mouth. "Maybe Felicity would be okay by now and dad wouldn't have hated me."

"Honey, he doesn't hate you." She stated firmly. "Do not ever think your father hates you because that is far from true."

"I hurt him, mom!" I cried, feeling tears stinging in my eye sockets. "I told him he was a loser of a parent and that's something no one can get over. I-I didn't mean to say what I said, especially now since all he wanted to do was keep me safe." I told her. "And the whole thing with Jake –I –" I paused, biting my lip because I wasn't prepared to tell my mother about my feelings for her best friend. Or at least, I didn't want to make it obvious.

My mother pursed her lips together. "Did I tell you what I did to your grandpa, Charlie back when I was your age?"

"When you were seven?" I asked, wiping the teardrop on my cheek. She chuckled.

"No. When I was with your father," She pointed out. I shifted my weight so that now I was fully facing her and not the window. "First time I hurt my dad was when I lied to him about where I was going and in turn getting myself hurt in the process. A vampire was after me and long story short, I almost died. The next time I broke my dad's heart, was when I left home without telling him and that was the time I went to Italy to save your dad from the Volturi, the next was when I was pregnant with you and I lied about being across the border, that I was sick and left him wondering for a month how I was. I left him thinking I was dying…" She halted, giving herself a moment.

I grabbed her icy hand and gave it a little grip and she simpered at me.

"What I'm trying to say is…with all of those instances, he had forgiven me and that's because he loved me. So, your father's no different." She assured me. "Just give him some time."

"I know that." I smiled at her, but let it fall instantly. "It's not just that. I mean, the whole thing about Justin is also freaking me out."

"I know, baby," She replied, giving me a small smile. "I'm sorry about that."

I smiled. "And also…" I paused, looking at my mother's beautiful face that was indescribable. I tell her everything but should I tell her how I'm feeling? I hadn't told anyone about my feelings for the past couple of months and it's eating me inside, I needed to let them out.

"I think something's wrong with me. I have all of these feelings…that I can't shake off and I don't know what to do." I told her.

She quickly stopped me, pressing her hand on my arm.

"Honey, there's nothing wrong with you." She said to me.

"Mom, you don't understand –"

"I do understand." She cut me off, nodding her head. "And I'm telling you, that there's absolutely nothing wrong with you and what you're feeling."

I frowned. I could see she knew what I was talking about but I didn't know how? Were my feelings that obvious before? I mean obviously not, because someone would've noticed.

"And if you're contemplating on how you're feeling then maybe you should do something about it. It doesn't have to be right this minute but when you think you're ready." She said to me.

I smiled slightly. "Thank you," I told her.

She nodded her head. "So, are you ready to talk to your dad? He feels bad about what happened between you two. He's just happy that you're okay, and that's what everyone else is grateful for." She said to me.

I nodded my head.

She got up and stretched her hand out to me. I gladly took it and my mother and I humanly walked out of the house and made it back to the main Cullen house. The minute we waltzed in, the dullness of the house felt a bit lighter than before.

I glanced at my watch on my wrist. It was almost midnight.

As my mother and I passed by the theater room, I caught my father sitting on one of the seats.

"I'll meet up with you, okay mom?" I told her. She smiled, following my gaze before nodding her head.

I walked into the home theater room slowly. I wasn't quite sure it was a good idea because I didn't expect what could happen, but I will accept any lecture or shouting from my dad because I deserved it and besides, it was much better than having him ignore me.

"Hi, dad," I said. He didn't reply. I looked at the screen to see him watching a bunch of home videos of me as a kid –which wasn't so long ago. "So I see you're going through my diaper days!" I chuckled awkwardly as I descended the steps and made my way over to the seat next to him.

"Yup, I just thought I would seize the opportunity to go through some old-but-not-really old memories," He said to me. I smiled slightly as I watched the time when I got my first hamster and placed it on my dad's head. I was probably about nine years old (technically I was only just two).

I fiddled with my fingers nervously as I stared down at them. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know where to start. 'I'm sorry I called you a loser of a father' or 'I'm sorry I betrayed your trust and I didn't listen to'.

"Just saying you're sorry is all that matters, nothing else, peanut." He replied as he read my mind. I looked up at him. "Look, I know I've been hard on you and I'm sorry for that, but that's only because I don't want you to get hurt. You may not believe me, but I was a teenager too way back when. I know what it's like to have desires, hopes and basically just wanting to have fun."

"I'm sure you weren't all about having fun dad. I'm sure you had your life straightened at my age."

"No, no, on the contrary actually, I was much like every teenage male except I was a century early so I wasn't quite like them but I wasn't so far off." He said to me. "I also didn't meet your mom back then."

I nodded my head. "I understand."

He smiled at me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close to him. I smiled as I placed my head on my dad's shoulder.

"I am way too old-fashioned for my own good, I get that. I guess I'm just finding it hard to accept that this is a different era and that you're going through teenage experiences, and that you're growing up. I'll get there. You just need to bear with me." He stated.

"Oh, dad. You're not all that bad," I assured him. "Listen, dad. I told you before that I'll always be your little girl, even in the future and that's going to be a long time. I promise that I won't _**'adult'**_ all the time."

"I will much appreciate that, thank you." He said to me with a pretend relief in his voice and I just couldn't contain my laughter.

My dad and I continued watching my home videos.

"I still can't believe you videotaped my whole life." I pointed out as it got to the part where they surprised me for my seventh birthday.

"We wanted every moment to last forever."

"And is there a reason why every scene Jake was in, he had to have a hotdog replacing his head?" I asked him.

"He's a dog isn't he? I thought it would be fitting."

I laughed so hard I felt my intestines churn.

"I hope he's not offended," I told him between giggles.

"He owes me, big time! So a lifetime of humiliation is something he has to bear."

I chuckled and frowned. "W-wait, why does he owe you?"

Edward smiled, planting a kiss on my temple. "You'll find out soon,"

I furrowed my brows and rolled my eyes. All of these secret code references my family keeps making, like tell me already dammit!

Edward hummed.

I knew I would get nothing out on him so I just resorted to watching the rest of the video which I found myself drifting off to a subconscious state to.

I was woken up by the sound of the TV downstairs being turned on. I jerked up uncomfortably as I realized I had fallen asleep in the theater room. I pulled the blanket off of me. My dad must've thrown this on me last night.

I hopped out of the seat and made my way out to go to the kitchen but stopped when I decided to head over to Carlisle's hospital office where Lizzie and Seth were.

I knocked on the door and Seth shot his head up.

"Hi," I greeted quietly, seeing Lizzie's fragile state sound asleep.

"Morning, sleepyhead," He whispered back to me.

I scoffed. "I think you're the one who's the sleepyhead, since you're bound in a hospital bed."

He frowned and scanned his surroundings before turning back to me. "Hmm…touché,"

I laughed, waltzing into the room. "How are you doing?" I asked him.

"I'm good, I guess. I feel a lot better than I did the day before. Doc says these mummy rolls will be off me in a couple of days, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. That's if I can cross my fingers, that is." He said.

My eyes widened. He noticed my shock and cleared the air.

"Oh, I'm kidding. My fingers work fine!" He said.

I smiled. "Sorry for how I acted yesterday. I just couldn't shake up what happened last night and how I felt like it was all my fault, with what happened to you."

"It wasn't your fault, Nessie. You wouldn't have known what would've happened that night." He told me.

"I know." I simply replied as I tapped a medical utensil my granddad used. "Alex was worried about you."

"Was she?" Seth's happy grin fell in an instant as I brought up her name. "I hope she's okay. She's okay right?"

I nodded my head. "Of course,"

"I mean, I was worried sick about her, I was going out of my mind but Jake helped me calm down." He said.

Jake. What a do-gooder.

"Alpha effect?"

"You could say that, yes." He said although it didn't quite sound like the full story but I wasn't willing to ask. "Is it okay if you can tell Alex that I'm fine? Just keep her cool, assure her that there's nothing to worry about?"

"Yeah, sure, of course," I told him. He nodded his head. "I think I'm going to grab something to eat. You probably need all the rest you can get." I told him.

"Yeah, thanks pipsqueak." He winked at me. "Bring it in," He said, gesturing for me to come over. I smiled as I bent down to kiss his cheek before glancing back at Lizzie and walking out of the room.

I made my way over to my old room to grab something when I caught a very revealing, yet mouthwatering sight. But then I realized it was too revealing!

Jake standing in the center of my room, half naked with nothing but jeans on which he was shoving on was the sight in front of me.

"Oh, god!" I squeaked, spinning around and covering my face. "I-I didn't know you were in here. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. This is your room." He replied. I gnawed my bottom lip as I waited. "You can turn around now," He said.

I turned around and to my surprise. He didn't exactly cover much because he was still shirtless.

"You said you were clear." I said to him, staring at the ground, refraining from lifting my head up.

"Nessie, you've seen me shirtless before." He said. "I just came back from a jog, well as a wolf."

I nodded my head.

He was right. Of course I've seen him shirtless before. But all of those times I didn't want to touch him and run my hands on those huge, huge, huge biceps.

No! No! No!

I reluctantly lifted my head but made sure this time I was staring into his eyes and not his abs. But that was only worse!

He was grinning at me and I had no idea why.

"Are you okay, _babe_?" He said to me.

My heart jumped! Jumpity! Jump! Jump!

Did Jacob Black just call me babe? Am I hearing things? What's happening to me? And why am I sweating? Those abs! Those abs!

"U-uh…." I stumbled, finding words to say but nothing came out. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm chill." I chuckled nervously.

Then as if on cue, I heard the doorbell go off from downstairs. Thank you!

"I'll go get that." I said to Jake before spinning on my tail and powerfully walking out of the room awkwardly and jogging downstairs.

Oh my god!

As Esme was about to head to the door I immediately stopped her.

"Don't worry grandma, I'll get it." I smiled at her. She grinned back and nodded her head before walking back to the kitchen to prepare food for the 'humans'.

I quickly made it to the door and reached for the doorknob. I sniffed for the familiar scent. Oh my jeepers! I couldn't believe it.

I widened my eyes and hastily opened the door. The familiar teak eyes met with mine and the wide smile I remembered returned.

"Nahuel?" I gasped.

He broadened his grin.

"Hello, mi carina," The dark-skinned, muscular, now-short haired man said to me in the same deep voice I heard all those months ago.

"I can't believe you're here!" I squealed as I threw my arms around his shoulders whilst he pulled me into a hug.

"Well, I promised you I'd stop by, now here I am." He said as we pulled away. I smiled at him.

"Nessie," I heard Jake call for me. I turned around to see him walking up to me. He was still shirtless with his cropped hair all messed up. "What's going on?"

"Uh, Nahuel's here!" I scoffed.

Jake met with Nahuel's eyes and I could feel some heat coming from Jacob as he stood by me, with Nahuel's arm still draped around my waist.

Everyone emerged and cheered when they saw Nahuel.

"I thought you all missed me, and I can see you all did," He said, staring down at me. I grinned widely.

… …

**A/N: There you have it folks! I'll just leave it there! You can conclude your own thoughts on what happens next.**

**This was a good chapter, you guys have to admit like forezzels! I see so many monkeys hating on me for delaying Jake and Nessie (which reminds me, I'm craving some Chunky Monkey right now ooh and strawberries! Why don't I just eat them together hmm? Sounds like a good idea right? I thought so too).**

**But if you all just tell me your wishes, I will assure you, they will come true!**

**[Question which warrants answers: Which one of my original characters would you like me to write on in future? No rush.]**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	29. Chapter 29: He's Not The One

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"Come in, come in!" Esme told our guest after we all presented our greetings to him, except for Jake.

I stepped aside for Nahuel to enter.

I stood by Jake who had an unpleasant expression on his face as he eyed Nahuel. I furrowed my brows skeptically.

"You're still shirtless?" I questioned, trying my absolute best not to let my eyes fall to a place they shouldn't.

He shrugged. "I'm feeling hot,"

I scoffed. I can strongly agree with that statement –although I would never even dare utter it.

"You just love surprising us with visits, don't you young man?" Esme teased, patting Nahuel's back lightly. "Carlisle was expecting you to come over next weekend."

Was he coming over? Why didn't he tell me?

Nahuel chuckled. "Carlisle called me, wanting help and I was near the state so I just thought I'd stop by. I'm sure you all missed me." He joked.

Everyone else laughed in response except for Jake who just scoffed.

"Self-absorbed much," Jake whispered inaudibly. I looked up at him.

He's behaving strangely.

Carlisle and Edward emerged into the room –from where I assumed Lizzie was.

"Nahuel, I'm so glad you came." Carlisle greeted welcomingly, shaking his hand. "I know it was short notice with what informing you about the situation I was in, but I didn't expect you to come a few days before."

Nahuel chuckled. "Yeah, well, it seemed urgent and I'll do anything to help a loving family."

I smiled at him. He was sweet.

I noticed Jake rolling his eyes at the corner of my eye.

What was wrong with him?

Carlisle smiled. "Good," He said before sighing. "Because I really need the help with this predicament…" Carlisle brought up. "Follow me," He added as he gestured to the stairs. Nahuel nodded, glancing back at me before getting up from the seat and following my grandfather down to his office.

I guess there wasn't much time for chitchat.

"Carlisle brought Nahuel here because he needs to ask him a couple of questions about his pregnancy and his sisters. He's skeptical about her situation because it seems to be a lot different from Bella's pregnancy with you." My father explained, reading my confused train of thought.

I frowned. "How is it different?"

"If you all haven't noticed, when she told us about her pregnancy, she was presumed to be a week along and it's been almost two weeks since then." He said.

"Okay, so?" Jake questioned but then widened his eyes when he realized something.

But my dad elaborated. "So, it seems like this pregnancy is taking a tad bit longer than it should or as expected. Carlisle's putting it as a fact that it's a different kind of species."

"A vampire and angel?" Bella asked.

I pleated my arms together as I listened intently to the conversation as my father tried to explain what was going on.

My dad nodded his head. "Carlisle and I researched on this new, odd creature and the shocking truths were harder to come by." He told us.

"Are we still buying this crap?" Jake pointed out. "I mean… an angel/vampire? Aren't angels supposed to be good and vampires completely bad, like asshole-bad? No offense,"

"I wouldn't be quite sure. In biblical accounts, there were angels that did wrong, especially on earth. They go by a different name though…a demon."

"Demons?" I questioned. "Okay, this is crazy." I cried out.

"I guess that's what Nahuel's here for? So that he can not only give us more information about his experience over the years but also about his sisters' lives." Bella stated. Edward nodded his head.

I released a much needed sigh.

As my parents continued talking, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text from Felicity, yet her mom was the one texting me, telling me that visitation is permitted but only from now till 1pm. My eyes widened.

I needed to go! Now!

"Um…Felicity's allowed visitors right now and –" I began but was immediately cut off by my dad.

"You can go," My father replied.

I grinned at my father, slightly shocked that he agreed but I didn't want to push my luck and grabbed my car keys, running out of the house.

I hopped into my car and drove over to Oakland Woods Station Hospital where I met up with both Rea and Alex. The nurse led us to Felicity room and we thanked her.

I knocked on the door.

"Come in," We heard Felicity call out.

Alex, Rea and I waltzed into the room with small bouquets of flowers and milk chocolate. I grinned at my best friend, seeing her dressed in hospital garments and taped to an IV. I could hear the beeping of her steady heart.

"You came," She grinned.

"Of course!" I replied as I placed the chocolates on the counter and smiling down at her. "Hello, Mrs. Stone," I greeted her stepmom. She smiled back, staring at her daughter.

Felicity looked at Alex and widened her eyes.

"You came?"

Alex nodded her head, smiling down at Felicity.

"Yeah, she was worried sick about you. We all were." I said to my friend. Felicity's lips quivered slightly as she glanced between all of us.

"How does it feel being in hospital?" Alex asked as she and I sat on the edge of the hospital bed whilst Rea stood beside Felicity's mom.

"It's not that exciting that's for sure, oh and don't get me started on the food." She pointed out, flashing a revolted expression on her face.

"No designer clothes, no Jimmy Choo's, no Prada bags." Rea said gruffly. Felicity rolled her eyes.

"Don't make me feel even more miserable." The blonde replied, running her hand over her head. We all laughed.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I'm feeling a lot better than I did yesterday."

"The Doctor's gave her a couple of meds, she'll be out of here in no time." Mrs. Stones smiled lovingly at her daughter. Felicity smiled back slightly.

"Do you remember what happened?" Alex asked.

"U-uh yeah, I remember." She replied, looking at all of the girls.

The room suddenly fell silent as we all awkwardly glimpsed at Felicity's stepmom. We wanted to talk about last night, and we didn't feel exactly comfortable talking about it if her mom was around.

Felicity eyed her mom carefully. "Um…mom, you've been here the whole day. Don't you think you need a break?"

She furrowed her eyebrows but nodded her head reluctantly. "Are you sure about that? I don't have to leave."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure." Felicity smiled.

"Sure, no problem," She smiled as she grabbed her handbag and keys. "I'll be running some errands. I'll be back in a couple of hours. Uh…your father's stuck at work –"

"On a Sunday?" Felicity sighed. "You know what, forget it." She replied. Mrs. Stone gave her a sympathetic smile before going up to her.

Mrs. Stone gave Felicity a kiss on the head before walking out of the door. I got up and shut the door and ran over to Felicity's side of the bed. We all waited for someone to start the topic.

I sighed as I looked at all of the girls.

"Did you all sleep last night?" I asked in dry, panicked anticipation.

"I couldn't, I just couldn't get past the whole night you know. Like what happened? What was chasing after us? Why did that mountain lion just drop to the ground?" Alex pointed out.

"I couldn't sleep. I mean, usually, scary stuff and death let me sleep peacefully but last night was traumatizing." Rea said.

"I know right!" I gasped and shook my head. "I got in a fight with my dad about last night. We dealt with it but I just wished I listened to him, you know?" I added.

They all agreed.

"Well, I couldn't sleep before this ankle brace/cast/cage had me tossing and turning so I just resorted to playing Pokémon Go!" Felicity scoffed.

I gave her a sympathetic smile, but was easily distracted when I caught a bunch of bouquets of flowers all around the room. From lilacs, lilies, orchids to white roses, they were everywhere.

"Wow, were all these from Hunter?" I asked.

Felicity followed my gaze and released a sigh. "No, from Luke," She replied. We all glared at her and raised a brow.

"Luke bought you all of these?" Alex questioned. Felicity nodded her head with an eye roll. "Talk about obsession."

Rea released a low growl that only I could hear.

"Yeah, my mom said he stayed the whole night. His father actually had to come here and forcibly remove him from the premise." She told me. I couldn't help but curve a small smile. "But get this; the officer thinks that my father had something to do with last night."

"What? How?"

Felicity shrugged. "I don't know. He came in here, asking a bunch of questions. I think he's going to come over to your houses."

"Wait, you're saying Luke's dad and his cult are coming over to my house?" Alex questioned. Felicity nodded her head. "No my god, I really hope he doesn't know about petition to sue the police department."

"Come on, it won't be that bad. I've shoplifted at the thrift shop and Macy's about a gazillion times and never got caught. It's all about keeping it cool." Rea said to us.

We all shook our heads at her and she shrugged her shoulders.

"What?" She asked.

"I thought we told him everything last night." I said to him.

Felicity shrugged. "I guess he wants more."

Alex and I glanced back at each other nervously before changing the subject.

"So, how did Hunter take it?"

"He didn't come over to visit me yet." Felicity told us.

I crumpled my eyebrows together. "Your boyfriend didn't come over to see you?"

"I can't say I'm not surprised. He's a giant tool." Alex rolled her eyes. Felicity narrowed her eyes at him. "What? It's true. He's my ex too."

"He'll come over. He just needs to take time and process everything." She muttered to us, although I could sense the denial in her tone.

Hunter wasn't fully invested in his and Felicity's relationship and as a friend, I want to let her know before she got hurt but I didn't want to sound like a terrible person.

"Thank you guys for coming though, it means a lot." Felicity said sincerely.

"No problem, what are friends for?" I smiled.

Felicity grinned back and cocked her head over to Alex.

"Look, Alex. I'm sorry. What were we thinking holding this stupid, irrelevant feud out for this long?" She pointed out.

"Let's just put it behind us." Alex stated, grabbing hold of Felicity's hand. The blonde smiled back at her, squeezing her hand. Felicity suddenly gasped and narrowed her eyes at me.

I smiled at the scene. My two best friends finally made up and it took a near death experience to bring them back together. Nonetheless, I was extremely happy.

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

After Nessie left to visit her friend in hospital, Edward continued to tell Bella and I that he and Dr. Fang don't think Lizzie's going to make it through the whole pregnancy. Despite bones not breaking just yet, Lizzie was experiencing extreme internal pain in her organs and suffered some bruises but she was trying her absolute best to hold it together, to be strong but according to her mind, Edward says she's in absolute agony.

Dr. Fang is coming up with a bunch of theories, ways to counteract the whole situation. Edward wouldn't tell us what some of those ways were but I had a feeling it either involved terminating the pregnancy or the same thing that Bella went through.

Alice couldn't stand her blank mind and feeling useless, so she and Jasper went out to hunt. Blondie hadn't left Lizzie's side one bit. It looked like Goldilocks befriended the girl but I think it was just a tool to get her hands on that baby just as she was with Bella's pregnancy, she couldn't care less about her. Or maybe I'm wrong, maybe she's actually willing to help this time. Cinderella might just feel sorry for the girl and wants to do everything she can to help her just like what Bella was doing.

Despite the whole dimness in the fifteen-thousand square feet mansion, things were going great for me. I knew that my Nessie felt the exact same way I did and that just made me feel like a giddy boy. I know it's terrible but she's my imprint, and having her feel for me more than just platonic makes any feelings hinder in the background.

And watching this 19th century dude waltz up in here with his amateur haircut and arrogant attitude, ogling his eyes on my mate like she's some pot of gold only just made me aggravatingly irritated –yes I am aware they mean the same thing. When I noticed him acknowledge everyone else's presence besides mine, I knew he had an agenda and seemed to have a vendetta against me and I had to hold back my laughter. Oh, this kid!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not threatened by this wannabe but I don't want him to think he'll have a chance with her.

A couple of days ago, I'd probably be feeling the total opposite. I want Nessie to be happy whether she was with me or not but I have faith that this punk will not stand a chance.

I was currently sitting in the TV room, watching _Modern Family –_one of Nessie's favorite shows –when 'the other guy's' scent lingered into my nostrils.

"You just missed her. She went out," I said to him, channel-hopping to The CW where –all those crazy supernatural shows that get everything wrong – are. I assumed he was looking for her.

"Where did she go?" I heard him reply, with a crotchety tone in his voice.

"She left to visit one of her friends in hospital." I told him truthfully but honestly, I don't think he deserved any explanation. I don't sound rude, do I?

"Okay. I guess I'll wait." He said before I heard him turn on his heel.

I smiled slyly. This should be interesting.

"What's your problem with me?" I stopped him as I turned my head to face him. He turned around with a frown on his face.

"Excuse me?" He questioned in that stupid accent of his.

"Wasn't I clear enough for you? Oh, I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what your problem is with me." I repeated.

He cleared his throat. "I don't recall having a problem with you, Jacob. I apologize though, if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"Oh, I'm not uncomfortable…Nahuel." I simply replied, adding the name card. "I'm just curious. What are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "Well, I'm here to help Carlisle."

"Yeah, I got that. But I thought you both agreed on you coming over in a week, but here you are." I said.

He narrowed his eyes at me slightly but hid it well with a laugh. "Is this an interrogation?"

I shook my head. "Just some small conversation," I told him and then laughed. "Dude, I'm just messing with you." I told him.

I was not messing with him one bit! I was about as serious as anything at this moment but he looked like he was about to piss his pants so let me just give him a piece of mind that won't embarrass him.

He nodded his head. "You're funny." He said, right about to turn around and leave the room but ultimately stopped to face me again. "Jacob, I just wanted to let you know that I am aware of the way you're protective over Renesmee and I just wanted to know what's up with that."

Oh now he wants to know about my feelings for Nessie that were also being reciprocated by her? Man, should I lay it on thick or play around with the dude?

"Well, Nessie and I are friends so I feel obligated to protect her." I simply replied, not saying too much, not saying too little.

He grinned slightly and I could sense a feel of pride and hope in his attitude which had probably increased is obnoxious arrogant radar.

"So, nothing more could ever brew between you two?" He questioned. I smirked smugly.

I shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. I think she's pretty."

"On the contrary, she's magnificent in all aspects." He pointed out. I nodded my head, trying to look impressed at his choice of words despite the fact he isn't lying.

"Aren't you supposed to be her brother or something?"

"I just said we were friends." I said to him with a slight eye roll. He's arrogant and a dumbass, charming.

"I just thought that you'd think it was strange having relations with someone you consider family." He said. I could feel the heat rising. "And not to mention the mutt part—Oh wait, I'm sorry 'shapeshifter'."

"How does being a wolf interfere with being with Nessie?" I enquired.

"Well, maybe it's just me but that doesn't sound like a good combination." He said

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"And you think you're better compatible with her?"

He shrugged. "I'll definitely be a better fit, I'd think so."

I sniggered lowly. This is absolutely hilarious. I am literally finding it hard to keep it in.

"Okay. I guess we'll see won't we?" I pointed out.

He stared back at me, having the same exact smug smile on his face.

I remember being in a similar situation eight years ago with Bella but only then, Edward at least stood a chance but this guy…

I should definitely not be worked up about it. Right?

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I reached the Cullen mansion after an hour of hanging out with my friends at the hospital. I waltzed through the large doors and made my way to the room where I could hear the family conversing.

As expected, it was my Grandfather's office where everyone was congregated. Well everyone being, my parents, Rosalie, Nahuel and Carlisle. But the rest of the family members seemed to not be there. I noticed Nahuel on the computer whilst Carlisle and dad had been working up a storm with all the medical equipment.

"Lizzie, are you sure you did not feel any severe pain internally this morning?" Carlisle asked the girl, holding up X-rays of her bones. I scanned over to the trashcan that had been filled with a combination of blood and regurgitated solids.

Lizzie had bruises, marks, and swellings all over her body, it was as if she had been attacked by something and the fluid drainage to her body wasn't helping, her bulged stomach was pretty much the only thing that looked normal. Lizzie looked even worse than she did this morning.

"No," She croaked at each cough. Rosalie held her hand, stroking her head as she hovered over her bed whilst Bella whispered encouraging words to her.

"We need to run more tests." Edward told my grandfather. Carlisle turned to my dad before eying Lizzie in panic.

"Run more tests, for what?" I asked.

"We think there's something more to what's happening to her than just an excruciating pregnancy." My father told me.

"Something else is causing the pain she's going through," Carlisle muttered in absolute frustration. "I just cannot figure out what. A disease, maybe?"

Lizzie suddenly gagged, spewing up red fluids into the trashcan.

"Carlisle there's no time for probabilities here!" Rosalie snarled, holding back the girl's hair back.

"Nahuel, did your mother experience any other illness from the…how should I say, 'normal vampire pregnancy'?" Carlisle asked Nahuel.

"Huilen told me my mother experienced the normal pregnancy symptoms, only this time they were all intensified but nothing like this." Nahuel said.

"Like what? What's going on?" I asked in frantic, despite being able to see what was happening. I just wanted somebody to explain to me why she was in so much pain?

Suddenly, we all heard an abrupt shriek from Lizzie and a couple of bones breaking. I darted my head over to Lizzie to see her body shriveling out of control. My eyes spread out in absolute shock as I watched my grandfather run over to her.

"We don't know," Edward said, dropping everything he had been doing and trotting inhumanly over to me and pulling me out the room.

In just a second, I found myself standing in the balcony of my room at the other house with my dad holding me tightly.

"Listen, sweetheart. I'm going to need you to stay here. We're doing everything we can to figure out what's going on with Lizzie." Edward stated impatiently –which is unlike him.

I felt tears' gushing off my cheeks as I looked up into my father's darkening eyes.

"W-what's going on? Is she dying? Is she going to die? Oh my god!" I cried out viciously, having absolute no control over the waterworks right now. "She's going to die."

"You need to stay here." He said, not agreeing or disagreeing with my statement. I shook my head. "No. You need to stay until we figure all of this out."

"W-where's everyone? Where's Jacob?" I demanded, threading my fingers through my hair in frantic. Jake was the only person right now that could calm me down but I feel like he's so far away.

"He's at his apartment with Seth, helping him recover. Everyone else is out hunting, getting as much blood as they can for Lizzie." My father said as he began heading out.

"W-wait, what? Are you going to turn her?"

"Just stay here, okay!" He shouted as he ran out.

I bit my bottom lip as I felt the tears continue to fall.

… …

My father left about an hour ago and I was stuck here in my room, curled up on my window seat, gnawing my nails vigorously as I stared out the window and my eyes transfixed on the Cullen mansion up in the mountain region.

My mind was going nuts. Negative, unpleasant thoughts flooded my brain. Lizzie could very well be dying right now. She could be dead! She could be dead because of that baby…

And I could only imagine how my mother felt; she was in that exact situation. I killed my mother.

I shook my head. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get all these deleterious thoughts.

I immediately ran out of my room, grabbing my dad's keys to his Volvo and hopping into it. I took a deep breath as I placed my hands on the steering wheel before slipping the key into the ignition and starting the car.

As I hit the road, I had no idea where I wanted to go. I didn't have an area in mind. I just wanted to get away from all of that.

After almost twenty minutes of driving around town like a crazy person, I found myself stopping at a Condo building. I didn't know where it was but I just stopped her.

I banged my head against the wheel and bawled out in tears. How could this happen? How could this happen to such a wonderful woman like Lizzie? She doesn't deserve to be part of this world!

I shook myself before slipping out of the car and making my way up to the condo building. As I ascended the building stairs, I was led down a hall that looked absolutely unfamiliar to me yet it seemed like I knew exactly where I was going.

I stopped at an abandoned condo. I extended my hand to the doorknob and twisted it before finding the door slightly a jar. I knocked on the mahogany door three times with no answer before I reluctantly waltzed in.

The condo was small. Cluttered with a bunch of papers, photos, laundry, books, broken glass... It looked like the house had just been mugged.

"Hello?" I called out as I walked around the dark condo, jumping over the hazards. There was no answer. "Hello!" I called out, hoping for at least something and I certainly did.

But it wasn't something I expected.

I received a hiss from beside me on the kitchen table. I flinched as I darted my head over to see a snowy ball of fur with piercing, slit golden eyes and bared fangs. The animal hissed at me again, this time more fierce and menacingly.

"Hi, kitty," I greeted the small cat as I extended my hand out to it but getting a growling and an image of a clawed paw in return.

The cat itself didn't look over five-six months old, basically still a baby yet it seemed so wild.

I looked around the room for something and noticed two _empty_ silver bowls on the kitchen tiles. I then realized something.

"Are you hungry?" I asked the cat. It hissed back in return. "Um…okay," I replied as I warily made my way into the kitchen, opening a bunch of cabinets until I stumbled across cat food pellets. I quickly grabbed the bowl and poured some in.

I placed the bowl on the ground and watched as the cat hopped off the counter, making its way over to the bowl, giving the bowl a sniff before shoving it away and hopping onto the kitchen counter again, resorting to glaring at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Maybe it needed something more.

I opened the refrigerator door and saw a plate of fish. I grabbed it and made my way over to the cat. I sauntered over to the cat and flashed the fish on my palm towards it. It hissed back but soon softened up as it sniffed my palm before devouring the fish from palm.

I smiled slightly. "There you go," I said to it as I placed the plate back on the ground after it was done and made my way around the house.

I stumbled across a picture frame that seemed to have been dropped or fallen.

I bent down to pick it up. I flipped it to see a picture of two –presumably siblings – people throw the broken glass. I widened my eyes as I looked the female properly.

"Lizzie?" I gasped out.

I suddenly scanned my surroundings.

This was Lizzie's apartment.

I unexpectedly heard a caterwaul replace the hiss I heard. I looked down to see the Persian cat make circles around me, rubbing its body against mine. I smiled and bent down to lift it up. I held it against my chest as I skimmed my eyes over the picture again.

That must be her and her brother, Carter.

I stared down at the cat which was staring up at me lovely with its bulged eyes. I planted a kiss on its head.

"How did we get here, huh?" I asked the cat as I began petting it and getting a purr in return.

I placed the photo frame on the table. I grabbed the cat pellets before heading out of the condo with the cat in my grasp.

I placed the cat on the passenger seat and I hopped in. I stared down at the gorgeous creature. The poor cat must've spent all these weeks without food or water. It probably felt lonely, that no one was there to listen to it, that everyone that they ever known had just disappeared, that it wasn't loved.

I sighed as I started the car and began heading back to the house.

… …

**A/N: This chapter was really hard to write because there were some gut-wrenching moments. I'm sorry about that.**

**I hope you all liked it though. Felicity is okay! Woohoo! But it seems like Lizzie's condition's only gotten worse. Is she dying? Did she die?**

**And wasn't Nessie's moment with the cat adorable?**

**I know you Jake and Nessie fans out there want them to just end up together, I mean 29 chapters and they're still not together? I feel your pain guys.**

**I just want to make it clear that, I'm not straining along their relationship because I want it to happen but there are stages of an imprint relationship that the two have to go through first but keep out on the lookout for the next chapter, I'm sure you'll be pleased.**

**And although I'm so thankful for all the reviews from my loyal peeps, I'd like to see new people too. Come on guys, don't be shy! Rant along! I love all your words nasty or uplifting. They inspire me to write more!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVORITE!**


	30. Chapter 30: I Hate That I Love You

**RENESMEE'S POV **

I walked into the house and made my way to my room. I placed the kitten on the ground and watched as it hopped on the bed, curling its body in. I smiled slightly as I made my way over to my dresser.

The doorbell went off downstairs. I furrowed my eyebrows as I left the room and to the door. I opened the door to see Nahuel standing on the doorstep.

"Hey," I greeted him. He smiled at me. "Is Lizzie okay?"

He sucked in a deep breath before nodding his head. "Carlisle managed to put her on morphine and keep her stable. She's still in pain but hopefully her resting can help ease it."

I released a sigh of relief. I was so glad she was alive, that's all that matters right now.

"Come in," I said to him as I stepped aside. He walked in and I shut the door behind him. "So, how does it feel being around all of this mess?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I mean, I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry that she has to risk her life just for someone like us. She doesn't deserve all of this." He told me. "I don't know but I really think she had her whole life ahead of her but now she has to give it up so that one can live. That's sick, don't you think?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I feel exactly the same way." I replied to him, smiling at him. He grinned back.

I descended the steps. "Come on," I waved for him to follow me.

We both made our way to my bedroom.

"Nice room, it's really spunky." He pointed out. I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Whoa, I didn't know you had a cat." Nahuel mentioned as he gestured to the snowy-golden kitten sprawled on my bed, sleeping soundly.

"That's not my cat. It's Lizzie's."

He frowned. "Why do you have her cat?"

I chuckled. "It's a long story," I sighed as I opened the glass doors that led to the balcony of my room and I stood by the edge. Nahuel was suddenly by my side.

"I never come out here to just enjoy the view more often. It's pretty out here." I pointed out.

"Yeah, it is." He replied to me. "This country is beautiful, certainly better than South America."

"Oh come on, being around nature? That's got to be epic!"

"Don't get me wrong, it is but the vast busy streets of New York, the sunset beaches of California, the multiple festivals in Texas, Oklahoma, and Carolina and let's not forget Las Vegas." He chuckled. "Those are some pretty great things to enjoy in this country."

I smiled. "I guess I'd just like to explore the world as if it was just one big canvas."

"You paint?" He asked me. I nodded my head. "That's interesting. I tried painting once…let's just say, I should probably stick to my day job."

"Which is?" I teased.

"Looking pretty," He grinned proudly. I laughed and then came into a realization.

"Oh, how is Huilen doing? Last time you told me about her, she was with her mate." I asked him.

"She's good, I guess. She's finding Chile her home now. I have not seen her in a while." He said, giving off a small sad face.

"You miss her, don't you?" I asked him.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, well, it's not so bad. I actually had some time to get along with my sisters."

"That's sweet." I said to him, before shifting my eyes back to the scenery.

"How's your friend doing?" He asked me.

"She's doing fine, I guess. She's definitely back to her old self." I joked, remembering the joke Felicity made about models.

I could feel him smiling at me as he stood close by me. The contact made me shiver slightly. I awkwardly looked up at him.

"It's really good to see you again, Renesmee." He told me.

I furrowed my eyebrows slightly but smiled friendly.

"It's great to see you too, Nahuel." I laughed, moving to the side slightly.

… …

**JACOB'S POV**

"How are you feeling now, dude?" I asked my beta as he lounged across the sofa.

"I'm semi-better," He said. I nodded my head as I threw a Cheeto puff in my mouth.

"Want some Cheetos?" I asked him as I flashed the packet at the tip of his nose. He dug his hand into the packet and pulled out a handful of them. "Your bruises looked healed," I said, analyzing him. He looked normal, despite some few swellings on the edges.

"I told you all I'd be better in no time." He said. I rolled my eyes. "Now you can stop 'momming' me." He coughed out.

"Have you talked to Alex yet?" I asked him as I hopped on the other sofa, grabbing the remote off the coffee table and flipping the TV on.

"Nah," He simply replied. "I don't know what to say to her. I can't lie to my imprint."

"You don't have to lie to her. You can tell her the truth." I pointed out.

"You mean I should tell her everything? Tell her that I'm a werewolf and I claimed her as mine the minute I locked with her eyes at her best friend's birthday party who also happens to be a half-vampire/half-human hybrid?" He chuckled.

"Okay, you don't have to lay it on thick, maybe you should just progress to telling her, one thing at a time." I said to him.

"You should take your own advice dude. I'll only tell her if you tell Nessie how you feel –which could take forever I see." He mentioned, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, you might not have to wait long." I told him. "I think she's feeling the same way I do."

"Of course she does, that's what I've been campaigning to you all this time!" Seth shrieked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm thinking of telling her very soon. I just hope that douche of a specimen/half-bloodsucker with an accent doesn't hover over her." I told him.

"No. No! Do not let Nahuel get in the way of your blossoming relationship with the love of your life, okay? You shouldn't! What does Nahuel mean anyway? It sounds like a disease." Seth said.

"He doesn't stand a chance." I grinned. "I promise you."

He sighed. "Let's just hope Edward's not around when you tell her."

I widened my eyes in terror. I know I made a promise to the bloodsucker but I couldn't wait any longer. He will just have deal with it.

"Me too, dude, me too." I replied to him.

As if on cue, Seth and I heard a knock on the door. I shot up from the sofa.

"No, no! Don't open!" Seth half-whispered half-shouted at me, waving his hand at me as I made my way to the door.

I shook my head as I opened to door to see an attractive young girl standing in front of me. She widened her eyes when she looked up at me.

"Damn, you are so tall." She whispered and shook her head.

I frowned, laughing nervously.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" I asked the girl. She sucked in a deep breath before replying.

"Have you heard from Seth? I'm so worried about him. He's not answering my calls. I-I just thought you'd know where he was?" Alex asked me.

I glanced back at Seth who suddenly stood in the kitchen, waving his hand at his throat, signaling that I should make an excuse. I turned back to the girl and shrugged.

"Uh…nope, I haven't heard from him."

"He does live here with you though, right?" He asked me. "He told me you two lived together."

"Uh yeah, oh I just realized he's out of town for the weekend." I told her. She frowned at me.

"Oh, really?" She asked me. I nodded my head.

"Yeah, he's visiting some family but he'll be back tomorrow." I said to her, sneaking a glimpse at Seth who gave me a thumbs up. Alex nodded her head in understanding.

"Oh, um…I guess I'll talk to him later then." She said. I gave her a small smile. "Bye," She waved at me before awkwardly walking away. I sighed as I shut the door.

"You really need to tell her the truth, dude," I told him.

"I know." Seth sighed.

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I went to school the next day. It felt weird because my friends and I were all at the lab that night yet nobody knew it was us. Felicity was still at the hospital so it wasn't lively in the air anymore.

The school day ended rather quickly –thank goodness. I stopped by Alex's house to talk to her for a couple of hours before heading home. I walked through the doors of my house and was surprised to see my mother talking to Nahuel in the living room.

"Hey guys," I greeted them.

"You're home." My mother smiled at me slightly. I nodded my head, waving at Nahuel. "Nahuel here's going to stay for dinner, is that good?"

I stared at Nahuel who was staring back at me with intenseness I had never seen before, it was almost to the point I felt like he was gawking at me. It kind of made me uncomfortable.

I nodded my head, despite myself.

"Y-yeah, sure," I grinned at my mother. She nodded her head.

"Great!" She got up. "I'll just take this as an excuse to use the kitchen for the first time." She said, making her way to the room.

I chuckled, following her tail. "S-so it's just us?"

"Uh, no, Jacob's coming over." She told me.

"Oh," I mentioned, trying my best to hide the smile from forming on my lips. "I guess I'll just freshen up."

She glanced back at me, grinning widely with a raised eyebrow on her face. I shrugged my shoulders.

"What?" I asked nervously. Did she detect anything on my face that gave it all away?

She just shook head. I rolled my eyes.

"Is dad staying for dinner with us?" I asked her. Obviously they wouldn't have dinner with us but whenever I ate human food; my parents were in the room with me.

"No. He and Carlisle are busy with Lizzie." She mentioned sadly. She felt bad for her because she went through the same thing. Bella was the one person Lizzie could relate to. I knew my mom would much rather be there with her, supporting her so I don't know why she's here.

"Why didn't you stay there?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Lizzie's under great hands. I'll go later."

I nodded my head. "I'm going to get ready. Will be down in a few," I told her as I turned on my heel.

"Okay," Bella replied as she chopped some onions. "You still need to tell your father about that cat. I can't keep the secret much longer."

"I got it, mom!" I called back.

When my mom found out I brought a cat into our home, she was surprised but wasn't bothered much with it. She was much more worried about my dad because she was afraid that he wouldn't like the idea of keeping a pet but I told her it was only temporarily –however, I actually wanted to keep it. If Lizzie was okay with it, maybe my dad would agree too.

I ran up the stairs and waltzed into my room. I trotted inhumanly fast to my closet and rummaged through it for a suitable outfit for tonight.

I heard a cat mew. I turned around to see the small cat looking straight at me on my bed. I smiled.

Sir/Mr. Rocky McFurball –as said on his name tag –was the epitome of cuteness.

"Will you help me pick out an outfit?" I asked the feline. It purred back in return.

I grinned as I pulled out a pair of jeans and red blouse. It growled at it. I frowned and slipped it back on the rack.

I came across a navy-blue blazer with a ruffled camisole and mom-jeans. It hissed at me. I sighed as I placed it back.

I suddenly caught notice of a creamy, floral-lace, knee-length dress with a plunging neckline. The kitten meowed in response.

I wrinkled.

Isn't this a little too fancy for dinner?

_Yeah, well Jake is going to be there_. I heard my conscience say to me. I felt my cheeks burn at the thought of seeing Jake's smile again.

I decided to go for it.

When I was done slipping some flats on, I fixed up my hair so it was in a neat bun. I heard Jake's husky voice linger in the air.

"Bella, it smells so good in here. What's cooking?"

"Hey, Jacob!" I heard my mother call back from the kitchen.

I immediately began heading out of the room. As I reached the stairs, I was met with Jake's beautiful dark brown eyes. His mouth agape a little as he looked at me in my dress. I couldn't help the grin.

"Hi, Jake," I greeted him.

"Hey, Nessie," He replied after a short while.

"Food is ready!" My mother called out.

I smiled and descended the stairs and made my way to the dining room with Jake following closely behind. As we entered the room, Nahuel looked up and fumblingly got up from his seat. I frowned as I took a seat.

"Oh hell," I heard Jake whisper as he eyed Nahuel carefully. Bella waltzed into the room with three plates of food in her grasp. She had so much grace.

"Okay, Jacob, sit down!" She told him. Jake obliged as he took a seat beside me.

Bella placed the dishes in front of us. "It's been a while since I last cooked. I'm a little rusty so don't judge. Esme's always the one feeding you all." My mother laughed.

"Wow, Jake? You leave a guy hanging!" I heard Seth's jolly voice ring in the air. He waltzed into the room with ease, looking comfortable in his plain shirt and khakis.

I was shocked as I noticed his bared arms. He healed so fast!

"Seth!" Bella gasped, and then glared at Jake. "Jac-why didn't you tell me Seth was coming? I would've dished out another plate."

"Yeah, why Jacob?" Seth teased as he took a seat opposite Nahuel.

Bella went off to the kitchen to dish out for him.

"So, how was everybody's day? Good?" Seth grinned widely. Jake and Nahuel didn't say anything. All they did was sneak daggers at each other when the other wasn't looking.

I frowned.

Bella waltzed in the room. "Okay, here you go Seth!" She said as she gracefully placed the plate in front of him.

"Thank you, big sis!" He brightened up.

Bella rolled her eyes as she took a seat.

As we were about to dig in, we all heard the door shut and my father appeared.

"You came? Is Lizzie okay?" Bella asked her husband.

My father released a sigh as he took a seat on the head of the table. It wasn't a sigh of exhaustion. It was a sigh of exasperation.

"She's critical but stable, I guess –as expected." He replied to her.

"Is that an oxymoron?" Seth asked him before just shrugging and stuffing his mouth with food.

"You look good, Seth. You healed very fast." Edward pointed out, changing the subject.

Seth nodded his head. "See, I told you I'd be good in no time." He muffled with a forkful of his food.

I smiled.

"That's good." Bella smiled at her brother-in-law.

"Hey, Nahuel so you're a century old, right?" Jacob asked him. I looked up at Nahuel as I chewed the food.

Nahuel nodded. "A century and a half, actually,"

"That must've been lonely." Jake grinned at him. Nahuel frowned and sniggered nervously.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm just saying…that's an awful lot of years to be alone." Jake said.

"Oh, this food is so good Bella. What's the recipe?" Seth asked, not paying attention to the conversation.

"I wasn't alone. I had my Aunt Huilen." Nahuel replied.

"I mean, yeah, of course but was it really just your aunt? I just think that's sad." Jake said.

"I don't think that's sad." Nahuel said to him. Jake shrugged his shoulders as he grabbed a spoonful of his food.

"Being alone all those years. It must be rough for a guy like you, to go on without finding any companion besides your aunt." He said. "I'm assuming you haven't found anyone."

"Why would you assume I haven't found anyone?" Nahuel questioned.

What is going on?

Jake shrugged. "I just assumed since your aunt found her mate and went off with him, that maybe you'd too. You know…find someone," He asked, looking up at the hybrid and popping in a carrot.

"Maybe I'm just waiting for the right girl." Nahuel replied to him, glancing back me.

"Hmm," Jake nodded his head.

Was I missing something here?

"Um…how was your tour around the states?" Bella asked him, changing the awkward conversation.

"Yep, it was a great experience. I'm enjoying California more though," Nahuel said to her.

"I wonder why," Jake whispered beside me. I glared at him.

I noticed my dad holding a distinct look on his face as he eyed Nahuel cautiously.

"Did you travel to all the states?" My father asked him.

"Oh, no, it will take me forever to go through all fifty states." He said with a chuckle. Dad nodded his head.

"You've got forever," Bella said. "We should take up travelling, right love?" She pointed out, wiggling her brows at Edward.

"Yes. We should think about it." Edward answered.

"It's fun to just get out of one confined place for once, you know." Nahuel said.

"I bet you couldn't wait to seize the moment." Jake whispered.

Nahuel narrowed his eyes at him slightly.

"What?"

"This drumstick is everything, Bella." Seth commented, staring at the chicken in his hand before chunking it down in his mouth.

"I mean, you were in hiding right?" Jake said. Nahuel frowned slightly.

"I wouldn't say hiding but I guess you could say that."

"Your father was a vampire scientist, you killed your mother. You're basically the poster child of disaster." He said. I widened my eyes and glared at him.

What the hell?

"Jacob!" Bella retorted, with her eyes blazed in shock and irritation.

"N-no. No, he's right. I did think I was the cause of my mother's death but after watching Nessie and her mother, I sort of accepted the fact that she could've been still alive. At least I carried on that hope." Nahuel said.

Bella smiled. "That's really sweet," Mom said, glancing back at me.

"And I'm happy that my father was dealt with." Nahuel said.

I stared down at my plate. I remembered the time the Volturi came seven years ago and Nahuel told them about the experiments his father had been making which resulted in him and his sisters. I always wondered what the Volturi did when they confronted him.

"You think the Volturi took Joham's life?"

Nahuel shrugged. "My sisters and I haven't heard from him for seven years. I'm assuming they did." He said. "But I'm just glad the experiments stopped."

They both nodded their heads.

"My father wasn't all bad, come to think of it. He tried giving me life lessons. Like being aware of mutts," Nahuel pointed out, digging in his plate. Jake's head shot up.

Are you seriously kidding me? Like I thought we got over this.

"Why am I the only one enjoying this food?" Seth murmured. "My plate's on the verge of being cleaned out."

"Oh, I'm just saying that he told me about vicious dogs that murder people and that I should just be aware of them." He pointed out. "He also said that they're meant to be alone, forever because if they get too close to someone, they could actually hurt them. If I were one, I'd probably just kill myself or I'd rather die alone. At least I won't leave a scar on someone I loved." He said. "Don't you think so, _Nessie_?" He asked me; however, he played around with the name.

Jake dropped his fork.

"I think I've lost my appetite." Jake mentioned, getting up from the chair and walking away.

I furrowed my eyebrows. What the hell just happened? I turned to Nahuel who looked confused, shrugging his shoulders.

"Did I say something wrong?"

The room fell silent soon after. I turned to my parents who had irritated looks.

Why did Jake just storm off like that? And for the love of everything that's good, why were Jake and Nahuel arguing with each other? One minute Jake's throwing something at him, the next it was vice versa. I don't know where this 'hidden anger' was coming from but it was really immature.

I needed to find out what's going on.

"Okay, well…" Seth began nervously as he looked between all of us. "This is some good food, Bella. Did I mention that before?" Seth muttered awkwardly. "Wow!"

I immediately shot up in my seat and followed Jacob's trail.

I caught Jacob standing on the porch, staring into the distance. I slid the patio door to the side and stepped on the wooden porch, sliding the door shut behind me.

"I'm sorry for walking out like that but I will not apologize for what just happened." He said to me before turning to me. "I mean who says that? I hate this. I hate that this –" Jake bit his tongue, shaking his head.

I sighed as I folded my arms together.

"Look, I get it. I know what he said was…really inappropriate but you said things too that weren't pleasant either. What's going on? Like please tell me because I'm confused here."

He didn't reply to me.

I cleared my throat.

"Did he say something before?"

"No." He said. "Look, I am sorry for ruining the night. It just got out of hand and the situation was just too heated. I just hated the fact that someone could bring up such a topic. I mean, you know what happened to Emily. I don't want that to happen to the one person I love."

I was suddenly hurt. Not that much at the fact that he was hurt, but at the fact that he could fall in love with someone one day, imprint on them and I didn't know what would do if it ever came to that. I don't think I'll be able to live, knowing that he's with somebody that wasn't me.

And I couldn't let that happen not ever getting the chance to tell him how I felt about him.

"Okay, then… I hate things too, Jacob." I told him. "I hate that my best friend is in the hospital right now. I hate that I have to watch my friend practically risk her life for someone like me. I hate the fact that I'm dealing with all these urges and feelings in me that I can't get past. I hate the fact that everywhere I go, I have ponder about the dangers that might occur." I said before pausing and sucking in a deep breath.

"I hate the fact that I dream every night…wondering what it would feel like to be with you when in reality I am not." I cried out. His head suddenly darted towards me, eyes bulged in shock.

My heart suddenly picked up. I was risking it all. I was about to risk my friendship with him but I couldn't hold it in anymore. This was it.

"I hate a lot of things but the one thing that I cannot…" I trailed off as I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. "But I cannot hate the fact that I'm _**in love with you**_." I finally said it.

My heart sped up in top speed. My breathing hitched.

"I've always thought that I was vulnerable because I wasn't like my family but in truth you make me vulnerable Jake. Every moment that I'm not with you is when I feel more vulnerable." I told him.

His lips agape, and his eyes glistened. I shut my eyes.

"I couldn't shake these feelings off because I thought you would never feel the same way I did but I don't care anymore. I-it hurt me… it hurt me knowing that you are the one person…" I paused, feeling the tears stream off my cheek and reaching my lips. "You are the one person that made me feel this way."

"You've opened up my heart in a way that I didn't even know was possible." I told him. "I love you, Jacob."

Oh my god! I love him. I loved Jacob.

His eyes widened.

"I love you so much!" I added, sounding absolutely shocked that I loved him. "A-and I need you."

He shook his head at me, his lips curving into the brightest smile I had ever seen on him in my entire life.

"I need you –" I tried to say through the tears, but I was suddenly smacked shut when I felt strong hands grab hold of my face and the warmest, softest lips smash onto mine in a kiss so fervent and strong that I was surprised I wasn't literally knocked off my feet.

I suddenly processed what happened and found myself reciprocating the kiss. I got on my tiptoe, holding the side of his face and deepening the kiss.

I felt his hands move from my face and his arms draped around my waist, pulling me close and lifting me off the ground. I put my arms around his neck, gripped his tightly.

I was kissing Jacob Black! I was kissing the love of my life! The one person I loved with all my heart!

We suddenly pulled away from each other's lips, gasping for air. I held my hand on the side of his face.

"I love you so much." He muttered against my lips. I grinned widely. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say those words. You don't know how fricking long I was waiting for _you_."

I giggled and caressed his cheek; projecting all the dreams I've had about this specific moment, showing him all the times I wanted to hear him say those words to me.

_And now you have me_. I replied.

He grinned widely and nodded his head, kissing my lips before kissing all the sides of my face, causing me to giggle uncontrollably.

He pulled away.

"Yes!" He shouted out for the whole town to hear as he set me back onto the ground. I laughed. "You look so gorgeous by the way." He said to me.

My cheeks burned hard.

"And now I know the cause of that beautiful blush of yours," He added, kissing the side of my face.

I squealed as I draped my arms around his neck, jumping up and wrapping my arms around his waist.

I was finally happier than I've ever been. I was finally in the arms of my love. My Jacob.

And there was nothing that would take that away.

… …

**A/N: Finally! Dear god! Am I the only one absolutely relieved that they finally got together. Yeah, I know you all were aching for this scene and now you have it! I hope I didn't disappoint.**

**Now, all you need to do to put the cheery on top on this love-fest is to review! Review! Review!**


	31. Chapter 31: I Feel Alive

**JACOB'S POV**

Is this a dream or what?

Why am I so fricking happy? Well, I will give you a hint. A moment and the most beautiful, amazing, absolutely unreal girl standing right in front of you. Put two and two together, and you've got the most epic realization of your life!

Nessie is finally mine!

Hearing her confess her love for me, seeing the emotion in those gorgeous chocolate brown eyes, feeling her lips on mine for the first was just the best things ever. I love this girl so much!

The deal with Edward was that if and when Nessie tells me that she wants us to be more than just friends, I could go for it –he didn't exactly say that in so many words but it was close. And now that I know she did, the ties were cut!

"I'm so happy, like you don't understand." I whispered into her, holding her tight by her waist as she had her legs set around mine. She smiled as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"Well, I guess we should start to make more of those happy moments. Together," She said to me. I grinned.

"That sounds perfect to me," I mentioned, gunning for another kiss on those seamless lips of hers. I grunted as she dug her nails in my neck. I pulled away to gasp for air. "God! I can't stop kissing you." I added.

She giggled as she nuzzled her head against my jaw, planting a kiss along my cheek down to my chin.

What is she doing to me? She needed to stop! But I couldn't let go.

She suddenly pulled away from me and released a gasp, departing from my waist and setting herself on the ground. I crumpled my eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, moving a strand of hair from her forehead.

She looked up at me, gripping the sides of my shirt tightly.

"What will my parents think?" She asked me in panic. "I-I mean, I hate to ruin this lovely moment but I haven't told my parents about my feelings for you. What will they think about their daughter dating their best friend?"

I thought for a second before flashing a small smile.

"Don't worry about it." I told her. She frowned. "Let's just say, I don't think your parents will have a problem. At least I think they won't." I assured her. I was sure Bella would approve but I'm not quite sure about big ole' Eddie though.

She smirked at me. "How do you know how my parents will react?"

I shrugged. "I think they saw this coming."

"Oh, please Jake. They're no 'Alice'." She laughed.

"True," I said. "But they do know you and you've got a mind-reader for a dad, so…" I said.

I chuckled when I noticed Nessie's cute little crease of the eyebrow and gnaw of the lip she made when she was nervous. I kissed her forehead.

"Let's go inside." I said to her as I placed her hand in mine and interlocked them together. Man! We fit so well together!

She inhaled a deep breath. "Okay, time to face the music." She told me as she and I waltzed through the patio door and slid it shut behind us.

We followed the direction of the people speaking in the dining room. Nessie and I entered the room, hand-in-hand, grinning from ear-to-ear as we noticed her parents and Seth talking.

"Hey guys!" I greeted casually.

All eyes lifted up to see us both standing there. Nessie gripped my arm firmly with her freehand as she noticed all the eyes.

I heard Seth squeal lowly before he shouted out. "Yes!"

Bella's eyes moved over to our hands and a small grin formed as she cleared the table.

"Well, now we see why it took you guys so long." Bella told us.

I looked down at Nessie with eyes of shock and vice versa before darting our heads back at my immortal friend.

"You're not mad?" Nessie questioned.

"No. I knew it was bound to happen. You two aren't really that discreet with your eye stares!" She teased us. I could feel Nessie blush beside me.

"I feel like it's about damn time!" Seth cheered, getting up from his seat and patting my shoulder, kissing Nessie on the cheek before heading to the kitchen.

"Yeah, what he said." Bella told us, rolling her eyes at her brother-in-law.

Nessie and I laughed. We moved our eyes over to Edward and our chuckles suddenly subsided. I could feel Nessie's grip on my hand tauten. Edward eyed me carefully.

_Look! Edward, you said we can get together when she tells me how she feels about me. Well she did._ I told him in my head, careful not to argue with him even more because even though she was my imprint, I still had to have respect for the guy, despite having him ruin my life all those –.

I should probably stop thinking.

Edward pursed his lips together, placing the dishes on the counter and walking up to me. I could see the stillness in his eyes, he was motionless. I had no idea what he was about to do but I stood my ground.

When he reached me and stared me in the eye, I felt my pulse pick up. Sure, I was probably a couple inches taller and had ten times more body strength than he did but the dude had more power.

He lifted his hand up and clenched his fist.

"Dad," I heard Nessie whisper beside me, taking a small step forward but I stood in her way.

Edward's topaz eyes pierced into mine. I was sure he was trying to carve out my heart with a stake.

Finally, he let go of his fist and extended his hand out to me. I took it reluctantly and he gave it a shook.

"I guess I have no control over this anymore. You two love each other, and I won't stand in the way of that." He said, managing to muster a small smile but his eyes were warning me hard. I nodded my head in assurance. "Welcome to the family, Jacob."

I grinned. Huh, I've just been officially invited into a bloodsucking family. Those are one of things I never thought I'd be glad to hear.

Just when I thought things were now sunshine and roses, Edward had to mess it up.

"But I'll need to lay some ground rules –" He began but thankfully Bella intervened.

"Let's just be happy that our daughter is finally happy." Bella said, tapping her husband's shoulder.

She stepped into to hug Nessie.

"I'm so happy for you, Ness." She whispered into her ear.

"Thank you, mom," Nessie laughed, returning her mother's warming hug.

Looking at the two was like looking at two of the most beautiful creatures in the world. I wonder when Edward and I got this lucky.

Bella pulled away to pull me into an aggressive yet tender hug. I grunted on her shoulder but gladly returned the kiss. Usually, the disgusting scent and ice cold grasp would've repelled me but I learned to get over it as the years went by. Nessie's scent managed to mask any other scent in the room.

"You take care of my daughter," She warned in my ear. I nodded my head.

"Of course," I murmured back. She knew I'd never let anything happen to her, I mean that's what I live for but I guess she just needed that extra assurance.

Bella and I pulled away to smile at each other. It felt so good to have her in my life, as my best friend.

I then returned to wrap my arm around Nessie's waist because the small distance apart was excruciating.

"Where's Nahuel?" Nessie asked suddenly as she noticed he was nowhere in sight.

I was too happy to even notice or even care if he existed or not. Frankly, I still don't.

"He left to help out Carlisle." Edward told us.

Nessie sighed and nodded her head. I know she felt bad about how it played out, maybe I am too because I didn't want to hurt her. But this should be a joyous moment.

"Speaking of which, I think I better head out and help out with Lizzie too." Edward said as he kissed Bella on the cheek and began heading for the door.

"Uh, dad," Nessie called for him. Edward spun around. "I uh…is it okay if I foster a cat? I mean, it's Lizzie's cat. I just thought that maybe we can take care of it until she gets better."

Edward thought for a second, glancing back at Bella before turning back to his daughter.

"Well, I don't see a problem in that, but you're responsible for it." He told her before slipping out of the house.

Nessie grinned widely.

"I didn't know you took in a cat?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I only had it for a day." She smiled up at me.

"I think I'm going to follow your father. Are you guys coming with?" Bella told us as she came back from the kitchen.

I looked at Nessie and she shrugged her shoulders.

_**I think I wanna just hang out with you. I don't think us being together would lighten up the mood**_. She projected the thought onto me.

I nodded my head and turned to Bella. "I think we'll just stick around here."

Bella smiled before heading for the door and running inhumanly fast to the main Cullen house.

I stared down at my _girlfriend_ –wow, it didn't sound right. My mate. That sounded a lot better. I grinned widely as I cupped her face in my hands and leaned in for a kiss before being halted.

"I'm so glad you two got together, like Jake would not shut up about you, more so than he did before. The pack kinda got tired of it." Seth said to us.

I huffed in annoyance whilst Nessie giggled. We awkwardly turned to my beta who was grinning widely.

"Shouldn't you be with Alex or something?" I asked him.

"I'll see her tomorrow." He replied, gobbling his drink. "Bella's a great cook, isn't she? For a vampire, like wow!"

I rolled my eyes. "Nessie and I are heading out."

"We are?" She asked me.

I smiled at her.

"Oh, I get it. You two want to be loved birds, be left alone. You don't need me lingering around. It's cool. I-I'll just stay here…all alone." He said, releasing a sigh.

"Okay, cool," I told him as I intertwined Nessie's fingers with mine and we went for the door.

"We can't just leave him alone." She whispered to me, her lips on my bicep.

"He'll be fine. He has the cat to keep him company." I told her. She rolled her eyes before suddenly gasping.

"Oh, which reminds me? I have to feed him." She stated before running up the stairs and coming back with a small white puff of fur in her grasp.

I smiled when she came my way, cooing at the little kitten. When I went in to pet it, it suddenly hissed back at me and I moved my hand away from it.

"I think it's just a little scared of meeting new people." Nessie giggled. "I'll be right back." She whispered before heading to the kitchen and reappearing a minute later, minus the cat.

"Let's go!" She smiled.

She and I walked out of her house and made our way over to my car. We hopped in and I drove out the driveway and hit the road.

I parked my car in the parking space of the apartment building I lived in. We slipped out of the Mercedes and made our way to my apartment.

"Sorry about the mess," I told her as we walked into the apartment.

She smiled and I shut the door, locking it.

"You know, we've been here for over seven months and I've only been in your apartment once." She giggled as she lounged on the couch whilst I grabbed two cans of coke from the fridge.

"Seriously?" I asked her.

"Yeah, the last time I was here was when I needed help from Seth with my Geography homework." She chuckled. "You always came over to my house."

"Huh, I guess that'll have to change from now on." I told her. She grinned as I handed the coke to her. "Here you go,"

"Thanks," She said.

I sat beside her on the couch and draped my arm around her as I flipped the TV on to a movie that was playing on some channel.

"Oh my god! I love this movie," She gasped after sipping from her drink.

I frowned. "Grease?"

She nodded her head. "I love all the musical numbers because they were so ridiculous." She laughed. "But Danny Zuko was so hot!"

"Isn't the actor like eighty?" I asked her.

"John Travolta's not that old." Nessie defended before breaking into the song that came up. "You better shape up! 'Coz I need a man and my heart is set on you! You better shape up; you better understand to my heart I must be true!" She sang along beautifully, clutching her chest as she moved to the beat. I grinned at her.

"You're the one that I want! (You are the one that I want) Ooh, ooh, ooh honey!" She sang, placing her head on my shoulder. "The one that I want (the one that I want) ooh, ooh, ooh honey! The one that I want (you are the one I want) ooh, ooh, ooh! The one I need! Oh yes indeed!" She ended off, laughing at my expression. "What?"

"You're cute," I told her.

She blushed a deep scarlet. "Come on, this is a timeless classic. You can't tell me all these songs aren't catchy."

I shrugged. "I guess," I replied, taking a sip of my drink.

Nessie ran her hand up and down my chest as she watched the movie.

"The way they whip their hair and never having split ends. The way the girls just swoon over all these boys! And Rizzo being the absolute life of the party. This movie is amazing!" She told me.

"Who's the hot blonde girl?" I asked her.

"That's Sandy." She told me and then suddenly eyed me with daggers. I shrugged.

"I mean, I assume she's hot because you thought that Danny guy was hot." I told her.

She giggled and rolled her eyes, pecking my lips ever so slightly yet ever so sweet before placing her head on my chest.

I was finally content. I thought just having Nessie in my life made it complete –which it does – but now that she's actually mine just put the icing on the beautiful cake.

This was going to be an awesome journey!

… …

**FELICITY'S POV**

My mother left the room after the nurse told her that visitations were over. My dad still hasn't come to visit me. Hunter's AWOL, but I was glad my friends cared enough to come over.

I was shocked that Alex came over; I mean I thought after what happened between us that she wouldn't want anything to do with me. I thought the same about her until I realized it was pointless. She was trying and I didn't understand why I couldn't just give her the benefit of the doubt.

I think it was really just Renesmee who brought us back together. If it wasn't for us being friends with her, I don't think Alex and I would ever come to this realization.

It was as if Katie was the one that brought us together and Renesmee brought us back.

I suddenly found myself falling asleep because nothing else was keeping me entertained. This damn hospital was so huge but it couldn't afford to get cable! Like I would be busy watching Project Runway All-Stars right now!

Ten minutes in my sleep, I heard my door suddenly creak open and footsteps making their way up to me. I didn't want to seem panicky because it was probably just one of the nurses checking up on me. So I just decided to let it slide and drift off to sleep.

All of a sudden, I felt a weight lay on the edge of my bed and lips on my forehead. The weight shifted quickly and I heard footsteps rapidly walk away. I shot up to see the back of a person in a black hoodie walking out of the room.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Who was that?

I shook my head as I decided to fall back to sleep. I'll deal with it tomorrow.

I woke up the next day to the sound of CNN news. I groggily fluttered my eyes open to see my mother, Linda sitting on the chair beside me. She was my stepmom but I considered her my mom because I never really knew my biological mother.

"Hey," She greeted me with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded my head. "They adjusted my medications so I'm just getting used to them."

"Who sent the tiger lilies?" My mother asked, pointing at the flower on the stand.

"I think Renesmee and the girls sent them." I smiled at her.

"They're lovely." She said with a smile. "Your dad's getting off his shift over in Calabasas today so he can come to see you."

I smiled back weakly as I shifted my weight slightly.

"I'm alone here with a modified foot. I could really use all the company I can get." I chuckled. She ran her hand on my forehead.

Usually the news bores me half to death but this particular segment caught my interest.

"This just in. Oliver Reed is alive and well!" The news anchor mentioned with the phrase 'Billionaire Party Boy Found'. "The Oakland Woods resident was found by local people in the northern part of the Indian Ocean, six days ago. Approximately almost six years after being missing and presumed dead following the storm accident and a struck of lightning on their private jet as they set for a business trip to Thailand and Fiji."

My eyes widened and I turned to my mother who had the same shock on her face.

"Reed is the son of Oakland Wood's billionaire/mayor candidate Benjamin Reed who was claimed to have been in the plane. We can now confirm from sources close to the family that Benjamin Reed is deceased." The anchor stated.

My heart sank and my thoughts immediately ran over to Rea and how her state must be. Our fathers were close with each other so I could only imagine what was going through her mind right now.

My mother grabbed the remote and flipped the TV switch off.

"That poor family. I can only imagine what they're going through right now." She commented. "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head. "I'm just worried about how Rea must be doing. I mean, to have her brother back but to know that her dad's gone must be really hard to comprehend."

"I know, sweetie." She replied, squeezing my hand soothingly. She eyed her watch. "I have a meeting in an hour…"

"It's okay mom. You can go. I'll be fine." She eyed me carefully. "It's okay! I've got my rag mags to keep me company." I assured her.

She smiled, placing her lips on my forehead before walking out of the room. I sighed as I pulled out a Vogue magazine from the pile on my nightstand and began running through it.

I heard a knock on my door and I saw that boy, Luke coming in with a plate of soup and butterscotch pudding with two Dr. Pepper cans on the side.

"I got you Tortilla and Butternut soup but you have to choose." He said. I frowned but grinned eagerly. I never pass up a chance of some good soup.

"Um…Tortilla soup," I told him. "It's got that flavor I love." I added as he came over to hand the bowl to me and placed a Dr. Pepper on the nightstand.

"That signature looks like Chewy's face on Star Wars." He said to me as he gestured to my cast on my foot.

"Only you would know because you drew that." I said, rolling my eyes as I sipped on the spoon. "Oh my god, this is so good! Where did you get it?"

"Did you know there's a soup store downtown? I didn't know! I just thought it was some old grandma place only my grandmother would visit because you know, she's a grandmother." He stated.

"Hmm," I hummed as I let the soup dance on my tongue. I looked up at him, watching as he plopped the can open.

What was up with this guy? He buys me flowers, gets me food, and stays over every night? I don't even know his last name!

"You know, um…You don't have to skip school. I'll be fine." I said to him as he took a seat on the chair beside the uncomfortable hospital bed. They seriously need to take notes from Sears, like these beds were just a no-no!

"I want to." He said firmly. I frowned. "And honestly, I will take anything to get away from that hellhole. My dad still thinks I need to do community service because of that stunt we pulled last week. "

I sighed at the remembrance. "Well. You're awesome! Thank you,"

He grinned at me, forming a small blush on his cheeks.

I pulled my phone from the nightstand and scrolled down to Hunter's Caller ID. I decided to text him, asking if he by any chance popped in last night but he replied with a no.

I frowned as I tapped my phone on my palm.

"What is it?" He asked me.

"Can I ask you a question?" I posed.

"Shoot."

I sighed. "You know. I think that maybe they have me under all these meds and I feel I don't know, loopy sometimes and I might just pop up with these absurd dreams or visions that can't be explained. I mean it's all like Twilight Zone moments. Like really, did he just do that? Did I just see that? Was he being weird? Was it him? Did –"

"Did Luke think I was asleep when he kissed me?" He ended off my rant. My lips parted.

"Yep, exactly that." I said to him.

He inhaled a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that. I thought you were sleeping and I thought maybe she won't lose her mind and go off on me if she was awake. I didn't mean to um…I don't know…um…I should go." He said, nervously getting up from his seat, almost tripping over it.

"No! No –" I tried to call for him.

"I really have to go." He replied before running out of the room.

I sighed as I frowned at the spot he left. He was weird.

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

Saying goodbye to Jacob as my friend was painful enough as it was but saying goodbye to him when he's your boyfriend was just unthinkable. I literally couldn't sleep last night and that lead to the reason why I was sluggishly walking down the hallway of the school.

It was weird. It all happened so fast but I couldn't be much happier. I was finally with him and to know that the feelings I've had for him for a while now weren't just one-sided.

I didn't know I loved him until last night when I told him. Even when I was with Justin, I knew it didn't feel right; I'd always had a longing to be with Jake instead. I know it makes me a horrible person but I guess it's true what they say, the heart wants what it wants.

"Hey!" I heard Alex's voice reach my ears, pulling me away from my trance. I flinched. "Sorry," She whispered.

I smiled. "You look really happy." I told her.

"I am! Seth called me last night!" She grinned widely. "And I just had the best breakfast of my life!"

I chuckled. "What did he say?"

"He said that he was caught up with some family drama but now it's fixed and he'll be back at school today. I can't even contain my excitement. I need to breathe." She gasped out.

"Yes, breathe." I laughed at my friend.

She did just that before speaking. "So I heard you and Justin broke up." She told me. I stared at the ground. "I'm sorry about that."

I nodded my head. I don't think I should tell her about Jake because I think she'd think I rebounded way too quickly and she'd hate me for it because, well Justin's her brother.

"It's okay. I mean, it'll take some time to get used to the idea but…" I said with a shrug of the shoulders, not knowing what else to say.

"Well, I know what to get you lively again. You, me, clubbing tonight." She pointed out.

"Oh no, I think I'm fine in terms of parties. Remember the last time we went to a party?" I pointed out.

"I feel you, sister." She mentioned. I chuckled. "Did you hear about the Reed's?"

I nodded my head. "Crazy isn't it?"

_**Flashback (Two hours ago)**_

_**I was sitting on the island chair, gobbling my bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch when I turned up the Oakland Woods Local News.**_

"_**Last night confirmed the reappearance of Oliver Reed, son of Benjamin Reed, the owner of Reed Enterprises and R-Endorsements." The news reporter stated. "This confirmed whether the plane crash that consisted all the passengers, Oliver Reed himself and his father and three other passengers. Mr. Reed has reportedly confirmed he was the only survivor of the crash that took the lives of eight people. Including local resident, Hanna Fitzpatrick, survived by her brother Luke and father, Captain of the Oakland Woods Police Department, James Fitzpatrick. The families were unavailable to comment but a family spokesperson can confirm that each family can finally be at ease, knowing that they have clarity. Today, the Reed family is asking for privacy as they all come to terms to a bittersweet ending to six-year long mystery and local authorities are coming to terms that a killer is at large in Oakland Woods. Reporting from the residential area of the Reed's household back to OWLN8 with John Nimbus."**_

"_**Thank you, Cindy…" The news anchor mentioned.**_

_**END OF FLASHBACK…**_

"I guess that's probably the reason why both Rea and Luke aren't at school, I guess." I told her. She nodded her head.

The bell suddenly erupted, telling us to get to class. Alex and I made our way to our first class.

Geography with Mr. Clearwater. I gave Alex a knowing smile as she and I waltzed into the room. Alex eyed Seth with a small blush on her face, placing a note on his desk before sauntering over to her seat.

Seth read the note and smiled slightly. I frowned. I wonder what she said to him.

"Morning class," He greeted professionally as he slipped the note in his bag. "Today we'll be doing some map work,"

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I pulled it out to see a message from Jake.

**Stuck at work, thinking about you! **

**Jake **

I grinned and blushed a deep scarlet red as I began eagerly typing back.

**I can't stop thinking about you too. I can't wait to see you afterschool. Love you so much! #Kisses**

"Ms. Cullen!" Seth called out. I looked up at him, seeing him raise an eyebrow at me. I blushed slightly. "Is Canada a state, a country or continent?"

I frowned. Why was he asking me the most basic question?

And I noticed then that everyone's eyes were on me with the phone in my grasp. I nervously hid it under my desk.

"Um…a country, obviously." I replied.

He smiled. "That's what everyone thinks. But just imagine if it was a state? Now we'll be related to those aliens." He pointed out and some kids chuckled. "No. Canadians are awesome! I'm sorry if I offended you Schakowsky," He mentioned to the Canadian transfer student who rolled his eyes.

"Take out your textbooks everybody and turn to page 128." He told us. "Ms. Mazzola, may you read for us."

"Well since you asked me so nicely, oh kind sir." She replied, gnawing her bottom lip as she eyed him like a predator. "You look so hot today by the way. On behalf of every girl in this room, of course."

All the girls chorused giggles at the truth of that statement and Seth flustered, chuckling nervously.

"Thank you for the compliment but I don't think my girlfriend would approve." He told her.

Every girl in the room groaned.

"He's taken!" Greta cried.

Alex's cheeks flushed lightly in slight shyness before she began reading her textbook. I grinned. They were so cute!

… …

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that chapter.**

**Review please! I enjoyed all the reviews I got from the last chapter but I'd really like to see more. Hopefully you can all give me ideas about what to write in future chapters. How you'd like the whole Jake and Nessie romance to play out etc. Feel free guys!**


	32. Chapter 32: Despair or Euphoria

**RENESMEE'S POV**

Afterschool, I drove over to the main Cullen house to see how the family was doing. The moment I entered the house, I was immediately greeted by Rosalie who had a stack of blankets and quilts in her hand.

"Hey, Rose." I greeted her. She smiled back slightly, planting a kiss on my forehead while hugging me with her freehand.

"How was school?" She asked me as we both headed in the direction of the living room.

"Great, uh…what are all these quilts for?" I mentioned, feeling the fabric on the soft blankets.

"They're for Lizzie. She has a high fever and her temperature's extremely low," She told me. I creased my eyebrows down and curled my lip.

"She's not getting any better is she?" I asked rhetorically. Rosalie shook her head.

"No, but Carlisle's got an idea on how to help her." She said to me as we entered the room. "Hey, Nahuel," She greeted as she walked past the man who stood in the center of the room. Rosalie descended the small flights of stairs that led to the office.

I stood in the room awkwardly, my eyes lingering around until I met with Nahuel who fixed his gaze on me. I gave a small polite smile.

"Hi." I whispered, waving at him slightly. He nodded his head. "So I thought you'd be with the others. Hunting,"

Emmett and Jasper went hunting this morning. Not only did they hunt to keep active, at least for Lizzie who seemed to be getting worse by the day, but also to keep an eye out for any potential danger that lurks. We still haven't found that vampire that the family caught a whiff of and there was still no sign of Charles. My Grandfather is concluding that maybe he ran away because he saw the damage he had done but my father thinks he's just waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch his attack.

The only person that has met him before was me and I really don't know what to expect.

"I stuck around to help Edward and Carlisle." He said to me, but I sensed something missing in that statement but I didn't point it out.

I nodded my head. He stared at me with lips parted and breathing lightly.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted last night." He told me. "I didn't mean to ruin the night."

I shook my head. "You didn't ruin the night." I told him,

Then as if on cue, we heard the sound of the door closing and a familiar scent lingered into my nostrils. I turned around to see Jake making his way into the room, over to me. I grinned widely and felt my pulse pick up.

"Hey, Jake," I said. He smiled crookedly as he reached me, placing his arm around my waist and pulling me in. He lodged his soft lips onto mine in a tender, yet fervent kiss that made my knees turn to jelly. I smiled and blushed, returning the kiss and draping my arms around his neck.

I pulled away, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I missed you." I said to him, gripping the small parts of his hair. He smiled.

"Me too," He told me in that husky voice I loved. I gnawed my bottom lip, tapping his hard chest lightly before turning around to face Nahuel but noticing he had disappeared.

I frowned. "Did he just leave?"

"He probably left because he knew he wasn't invited to our love-fest." He mentioned, nibbling on my earlobe. I giggled and pushed him away lightly.

"We better go check on how the others are doing." I said as I made my way to the office with Jake following my tail.

We waltzed into the dimmed room to see my grandfather and dad talking to Lizzie, examining her whilst my mom and aunt helped her up.

"You see there," Carlisle said, pointing on the glowing X-ray screen. I could see why it was dark in the room so that they could have better lighting to see properly, well for Lizzie. "That's your thoracic cavity. Now if you see closely, there's a hole in it."

Lizzie frowned. "Why is there hole?"

"We're not sure." Edward replied. "We have theories, that maybe the breaking of your bones triggered the chest area. We think it can have an effect on your lungs. You see, this is the diaphragm, the thin sheet-like muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity." He told her, gesturing to the scan.

"So when the diaphragm contracts, the lungs will deflate during inhalation and when it relaxes it arches. But we notice that your diaphragm doesn't resemble any of those traits, if they do, then it's only just a tad bit of it."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It would explain why I'm not breathing the way I should." She replied, with a nod after the woman placed her brittle body on the wheelchair. "And why I'm taped to this machine because it's doing the breathing for me."

Nobody replied but I assumed the silence was a sign of agreement.

"How is her thoracic cavity open? It's not like she got shot in the chest or anything?" I questioned.

"Yes. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be anything else triggering it." Carlisle replied. "When there's a hole in the chest, the open system will make the thoracic cavity be the same, which means the organs aren't protected and that will influence the functions of the lungs."

"Which means there's no breathing system," I replied lowly. My father turned to me and nodded his head.

"The good news is you haven't punctured any other bones," Bella mentioned, tapping Lizzie's shoulder lightly.

She didn't reply.

"We're going to do everything we can to get you out of this Lizzie. We won't let anything happen to you." Edward reassured her.

"And the baby?" She asked, looking up at my father. "How's _it _doing?"

Edward and Carlisle shared a long look. I furrowed my eyebrows, placing my hand on the arm Jake draped around me.

Lizzie looked at the men. "What's wrong with the baby?"

Edward sighed. "Um…" He hummed.

"You can tell me anything I don't already know. I can take it." She said.

"The baby is distressed." He told her. "We think the amount of pain you're going through isn't a good environment for it. It's finding it hard to succumb to the agony."

"What are you saying? That the baby's dying?" Lizzie mentioned, her voice cracking slightly.

I noticed both Bella and Rosalie widen their eyes. Usually, my father told mom everything so I was shocked she didn't hear about this.

"More like trying to kill itself." Carlisle added.

"What?" Bella shouted.

"W-what? Why don't we do something about it?" Rosalie retorted in panic as she stood close by Lizzie who had tears stinging in her eye sockets.

"We're trying." Edward replied. "We're just waiting for Emmett and Jasper to bring in more blood."

"But animal blood won't work on the baby." Rosalie replied.

"I'm going to drink blood?" Lizzie questioned, shock all over her pale face as she polished a pendent with the hem of her undershirt.

"She can't even swallow liquids and solids, how are we going to get blood into her system?" Bella asked.

"We have an idea." Carlisle pointed out. "However, I don't think you'll find it comforting, Elizabeth." He said, glancing back at Lizzie.

In that very instant, Lizzie sucked in a sharp breath and clutched her stomach. She jerked a bit in her wheelchair and Rosalie was holding her almost immediately.

"I'm okay." Lizzie replied quickly. "He seems determined to get out soon. I'm sure you felt that way, Nessie." She chuckled too weakly, I was sure a cough would've been a bit more lively.

I couldn't bear to look at her because I knew how much it would hurt. I couldn't look at her because I knew I did this to her.

Lizzie sighed lowly. "Do it," She said to my grandfather.

I shook my head, slipping out of Jake's grasp and walking out of the room. I wanted to spew out my guts. I was so infuriated and I had no idea why. Blood boiled could not compare to my feeling right now. I was uncomfortable being in this house and that shouldn't happen, right?

I shook my head as I decided to make my way to the balcony where I found a small frame with a pixie hair cut leaning over the edge. I walked up to her and stood beside her.

"Hey, Aunt Alice," I mentioned casually as I leaned over the balcony, staring out into the distance, sniffing the cold air.

Suddenly, we heard a loud bang in clouded sky. It was so aloof and unwelcoming.

"Looks like it's about to rain," The high-pitched woman said to me. I nodded my head. "This is so frustrating."

"I know. It's a bad time to play with the weather towards the end of winter." I chuckled lightly.

"I'm talking about this pregnancy. It's playing with the blind spots of my vision. I can't see anything anymore. I mean, I didn't even know it was going to rain." She sighed.

"Well if it's any consolation, maybe it's because there's two more hybrids and wolves around." I told her. I instantaneously took it back. "Maybe that's not comforting,"

She chuckled. "I could see things all fine as the years went by but there's just something about that baby." She said.

I sighed. "I still can't get over the fact that she's risking her life for someone like me. I can't believe I did this to my mother." I said, shaking my head.

"No. Don't blame yourself for this." She said. "You were and still are an incredible gift to this family and to your parents. Your mom was willing to go through all of this because she loved you and I'd say really, really wanted to be a vampire." She chuckled. "But bottom line is, she knew you had value and so does this baby. Lizzie wants to give it a life."

I nodded my head. Lizzie loved the child the same way my mother loved me when she had me. I get that now. I just really hope she's alive to see the baby.

"Why don't we just turn her after the birth? Like what you did for Bella." I pointed out.

"We're not sure if that's what she wants." Alice replied. I exhaled a heavy breath. "It will be fine, Nessie."

"Are you saying this as psychic-Alice or positive-Alice?" I questioned.

"Sadly, the latter." She replied.

I stared at the ground as I ran my hand through my hair and draped my coat around me tightly. Alice smiled as she noticed the outfit she picked out for me a couple of months ago.

"I heard you and Jake got together." She told me. I smiled. "It took you guys long enough."

I laughed. "I guess the wait just brought us even closer."

She smiled. "That's sweet." She stated. "Puppy love…I miss those days."

I chuckled. "Aren't you and Jasper still in that phase?"

"Of course, don't get me wrong. It doesn't go away but it becomes different as the years go by, when different situations bring you two even closer in ways even more intense, unimaginable." She pointed out.

"Situations like what?" I asked incredulously. She turned to me with her lips parted for a while before grinning and rubbing her hand up my arm.

"Don't worry yourself about that right now." She said. I smiled and nodded my head.

"Where's Nahuel?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "He just took off. I think he'll be back though,"

I frowned.

"How's your friend?" She asked me.

"Who, Felicity?" I asked. "She's good, I guess. She's hoping to be discharged tomorrow." I told her. "She's angry about missing school and some of her favorite shows because the hospital doesn't have cable." I laughed.

Alice didn't reply after a long while and I darted my head to her to see what was happening. Her eyes were bulged without a blink with her body still as a statue.

"Alice?" I questioned, loud enough for her to fully focus on me.

She darted her head towards me, her face filled with panic.

… …

"What did you see?" Carlisle questioned Alice as we all sat in the living room.

"I-I don't exactly know." She mentioned in frantic. I furrowed my eyebrows. I leaned my head in, seated on Jake's lap. "All I saw were flames engulfing a crowd of arms and screams coming from the distance."

"Like people being burned alive?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know. The screams were very deafening and fear-provoking yet the hands seemed to be reaching for something. It was so eerie." She added.

"You didn't see anything else?" Dad questioned.

Alice shook her head, frustration on her face. "That was it."

"I don't see the problem here. I mean don't get me wrong, it's terrible but what does that have to do with us?" Jake pointed out.

"Jacob, the visions Alice has always connect with the family." Carlisle said. "So it seems as though we've got a problem in our hands."

"Alice, try tapping into the vision, maybe get a bigger and clearer image." Edward urged.

"I'll try." Alice replied, releasing a frustrated sigh.

As if on an abrupt cue, we heard a loud yelp coming from outside the house.

"Help!" I heard Emmett's familiar voice cry out to us.

The family immediately shot up and inhumanly darted their way to the scene. My father opened the door ajar and we were now met with Emmett and Nahuel's drenched up bodies as they masked identical anxious faces as they both held Jasper up, who looked to have been in excruciating agony. He was screaming in hysteria.

"Jasper!" Alice screeched so loud my eardrums stung.

"What happened?" Carlisle demanded as he ran to Jasper's aid, ushering all of them to come in as it was pouring outside and we all ran up to the living room. Emmett placed Jasper on the sofa with Alice immediately by her husband's side.

"We were hunting, Jasper and I." Emmett stated, placing a bag on the coffee table. I could smell gallons of blood in it. "When we reached the clearing, we both smelt a couple of scents. About to confront them, suddenly something just came out of nowhere and stabbed him in the leg. I looked to see it was an arrow-like weapon, but not exactly. When I pulled it out, that's when everything darkened." Emmett mentioned in panic.

"And that's when I came in." Nahuel pointed out.

Carlisle immediately went over to assess Jasper's leg, ripping apart the torn piece. I leaned in to get a closer look to his entire thigh cavity down to the knees covered in dark streaks, his veins sticking out vastly. It looked horrible.

"I couldn't go after them. They were too fast." Emmett replied.

"Jasper!" Alice sobbed tearlessly, running her hand over his forehead.

"T-the scents…were…definitely human." Jasper muttered, through the agony.

I turned to Jake who had a discomfited look in his eye, watching Jasper's veins protruding out his pale skin. He held me by the waist, protectively, guarding me.

"I think you got infected." Carlisle mentioned, gripping Jasper's leg as he winced in pain, biting his tongue as he tried not to scream but finding it difficult. "We need to get the infection out."

"With what? Sterol?" I asked out.

Carlisle turned to Edward and just then, my father ran out of the room and came back with a machete. My eyes widened in shock as I realized what they were about to do.

"What are you doing?" Alice screamed out.

"Alice, it's okay." Jasper replied to his freaked out wife and in that very instant, Alice was calm. He must've used his ability on her.

"Are you seriously going to chop off his leg?" I asked.

My father turned to me. "Look away, Nessie."

I looked at my father with eyes blazed but obliged nonetheless, hiding my face in Jacob's chest and then I heard a loud slice and an agonizing wail.

… …

**SETH'S POV**

I was currently in the kitchen, preparing a mean dish whilst Alex stood in the living room, talking to her folks over the phone.

Alex had been angry that I hadn't called her for the past few days, but that was courtesy to the fact that I was in pain and I didn't want her to know that. So I thought, to fix it, I'd invite her over for dinner.

**FLASHBACK…**

_**After the dismissal bell went off, I watched all the children charge out of the class and onto their next ones. **_

"_**Alex," I hailed as she draped her bag over her shoulder. She made her way over to my desk. I went over to shut the door and hurled the blinds down. "So you decided to stick around."**_

"_**Um…yeah," She replied. "I realized it would've been harder to stay away from you than having to see you in this room every day." She grinned.**_

_**I flashed a wide grin. "Well, I'm glad you changed your mind."**_

_**She smiled, nodding her head. I gave her a quick once-over, gawking at her impeccable beauty as she wore her hair up in skin-tight jeans and a Metallica T-shirt and a pair of sneakers.**_

"_**This may not be mature or smart." She pointed out.**_

"_**I promise you, this isn't mature or smart." I replied.**_

_**She chuckled. "But maybe we can make it work." She said to me as she tapped my desk. **_

_**I nodded my head. I hadn't exactly thought our relationship through, maybe I was just blinded by the fact that I fell in love with this girl the minute I laid eyes on her. I wasn't aware of the consequences that could occur with being with her, especially when it came to not upholding the law. But frankly, I didn't care at this point.**_

"_**We need to talk." I said to her. "We obviously can't talk at school. I want to be able to talk to you in a place where I don't have to be professional with you."**_

"_**I think that's best." She said to me.**_

_**I smiled. "I'm home afterschool. So would you mind popping my place later? I can cook you one of five dishes I know how to cook. Okay, maybe three."**_

_**She giggled. "Yeah, sure. What time?" She asked me.**_

_**I shrugged. "Around seven-ish?" **_

_**She nodded her head agreeing, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. **_

"_**Seven-ish it is," She said to me.**_

**END OF FLASHBACK…**

Jake headed over to the Cullen's for the night so I had the apartment to myself. Something happened there though, apparently Jasper got into some trouble but they've sorted the issue out.

"No, I'll just borrow something at Nessie's." Alex said to her father over the phone.

"_Her parents are okay with it?"_ A thick American-Italian accent met my ears.

"Yeah, her parents are here. They know I'm staying over." She mentioned.

"_Be safe, Alexandra."_ He pointed.

"Okay. Bye, dad." Alex replied before ending the call and slipping her phone back into her pocket. She made her way over to the stereo and pressed play. An Ed Sheeran song popped up.

_**Kiss me, like you want to be loved**_

_**Like you want to be loved **_

_**Like you want to be loved**_

_**This feels like falling in love**_

_**Falling in love**_

_**Falling in love**_

"Omigosh, I can't believe you have Ed Sheeran?" She laughed.

"Yeah, I love some love songs performed by British men." I joked. She laughed as she examined the scenery of the room until something caught her eye. She gestured to my miniature telescope collection.

"Oh, wow. Do these things even work?" She laughed.

"Sometimes, when I'm trying to look into the distance,"

"Why don't you just get binoculars?" She asked me. I shrugged.

"I don't know." I replied. "I need to find a hobby."

She rolled her eyes and placed one piece of a telescope down and began making her way to the sofa, lounging on it.

"My dad is so overprotective lately." She giggled.

"Maybe he's just looking out for his only daughter." I replied, throwing a piece of onion in my mouth. "You know, he's protecting you,"

"Protecting me from what? I mean, I go to school every day and mostly hang out with my brother, my life couldn't be any more mundane." She chuckled. "My parents are out on a date night, so I guess I'm free from all the lectures." She said with a sigh.

"Is there something else bothering you?" I asked but in reality, I knew there was. I could feel it.

"Nah, it's just…" She paused; I looked up from chopping some potatoes. "I think my parents are hiding something from me that I can't put my finger on. Mostly my dad, he's been acting strange. More so than he usually was,"

"And you never brought this up?"

"My dad and I rarely talk; it was all about intellect as he puts it. Surprisingly, I'm more close to him then I am with my mom." She told me.

"You guys have some serious communication issues," I joked with a smile. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me before sighing. "I was close with my dad too. I mean, we always went fishing together, which was our favorite thing to do before he died."

She didn't reply but her eyes said it all. I shook my head.

"S'okay, don't worry about it. What I'm trying to say is…maybe you should find ways to get closer to your dad, and maybe he'll open up." I told her.

"Don't you think I've tried?" She huffed. "Every time I try to let him open up, he closes up and distances himself from me. This was one of the very few reasons why he and Justin are estranged." She added.

I creased my eyebrow.

"You know what? Forget I said anything, this is supposed to be a special night." She told me. "I don't want to ruin it with me blabbering on about my screwed up life."

"I didn't know it was a special night?" I pointed out playfully.

"Any night with you is special to me." She muttered lowly but I could hear it and it made my heart melt. Man! She just surprises me every day. It was great that I got to see a new side of her every day and it was comforting to know that I was the one that brought this side out of her.

"Are you sure Jake's okay with me staying over?" She asked.

I shook her off as I placed the potatoes in the pan, turning the stove up and making my way over to her.

"He's okay with it. He's at his girlfriend's house anyway." I said. Following Nessie's wishes, I agreed to keep her and Jake's relationship on the DL when I was around Alex but I wasn't going to keep this charade much longer.

I placed my arm around her, pulling her close to me.

_**Settle down with me**_

_**Cover me up**_

_**Cuddle me in**_

_**Lie down with me and hold me, in your arms**_

_**And your heart against my chest**_

_**Lips pressed to my neck**_

_**I've fallen for your eyes**_

_**But they don't know me yet**_

"I've never been so content in my life with anybody until I met you, you know?" She mentioned to me as she held my arm that draped around her neck with both hands.

I looked down at her.

"It's like, my mind is telling me I'm going the wrong way and my heart's just telling me to trust it and follow it. And I'm really following my heart, Seth. However, cheesy that must sound." She said to me, staring back at me.

"It's not cheesy. In fact, I think it's perfect that you told me because I have something to tell you too." I said and inhaled a deep breath as I caressed her cheek with my index finger.

"I love you, Alex. I've loved you the moment I met you and I will love you till the day I leave this earth, which I'm hoping won't be anytime soon."

She smiled slightly, rubbing her head against my chin before pulling away to face the ground awkwardly. Was I too forward? Dammit! I knew I should've waited longer.

"Look, you don't have to say it back. I can wait –"

"No. No. It's just…" She paused. "In my heart, I feel the exact same way but I just can't find myself to say it out loud. At least, maybe we could give it some time."

I nodded my head, planting a kiss on her shoulder.

"And you don't have to. Like I said, I can wait." I told her. She smiled back. "B-but uh, I'm about to ruin the moment now." I warned her.

She frowned in confusion as she adjusted her weight so she could face me. I sat up in the sofa, grabbing her hand in mine.

"Um…I don't know where to start but, uh…" I began awkwardly and nervously. Way to go, Seth! You can tell her you love her but you can't tell her the most basic thing?

"What's wrong?" She questioned. "It can't be that bad? I mean it's not like you ate your goldfish or anything,"

I chuckled. "Well, um…it's definitely a little more drastic than that." I told her. "I didn't know how to tell you this because one, I didn't know how and two, I didn't want you to freak out –which is exactly what I don't want you to do right now."

I sucked in another deep breath and exhaled heavily, clearing my throat lightly.

"I'm not the person you thought I was." I began. That doesn't sound right. I sound like some serial killer and I don't want her to get that idea! I'm the nicest guy on the planet!

"You're a werewolf, aren't you?" She asked all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I know." I replied with a sigh and then I immediately retracted, glancing at her with bulged eyes. "Wait what?"

She chuckled.

"How did you know?" I pointed out.

What? I didn't even need to explain it all! She just knew? Like what? Did I have some supernatural/werewolf radar on me because I was sure I didn't let anything slip up!

"I kind of dreamt about this moment after watching this horror show, Hemlock Grove." She pointed out. "Anyway, I thought how it'd feel like if someone told me they were a werewolf and you just popped in mind. I thought it was crazy until I noticed you resembled all the qualities of one. You're hot, tall, and strong and you're hot. I said 'hot' twice because they both have double-meaning, so…"

My mind was absolutely blown! My imprint knew about my secret and I didn't even need to tell her?

"Wait, wait…" I chuckled nervously. "So you're not weirded out? Like you don't think I'm crazy or anything?"

"You're asking a girl who believes werewolves exist after watching a horror show." She laughed. She placed her hands on either sides of my face, cupping it and leaning her head in. "No, I'm not weirded out or think you are crazy." She added before planting her lips on mine.

I smiled slightly.

"And yes, I will keep it to myself. I will never tell a soul or you'll break me into bits."

"I think you're definitely watching too many horror shows and movies." I said to her.

She laughed as she stared into my eyes. Her grin fell slightly as she deepened her gaze on me. I curved my lips as I memorized all her features, her well-lit brown skin, her long, curly, chestnut locks, her striking hazel eyes and those lusciously soft lips of hers. I was mesmerized by every asset of her body, and I was so incredibly lucky to know that someone like her belonged to me.

I cupped her face in my hands and pulled her into a strong, passionate kiss. She hummed in response as she returned the kiss just as fervently. She hurriedly began pulling my sweater over my head and tossing it to the curb. I grinned as I pulled her close to me, fiddling with the hem of her camisole before shoving it over her head until she was in only her bra.

We both fell back onto the couch, still kissing heatedly as we roamed our hands over each other's bodies. I flipped her over so I was hovering over her, departing my lips from hers to roam down her neck, down her collarbone and above her chest. I heard her grunt in please as she lifted my head and kissed me. She giggled as I begged for entry in her mouth.

"You do know that the food's still cooking?" She pointed out between kisses.

"I don't care," I growled as I fiddled with the buttons of her jeans but suddenly stopping.

I pulled away to stare into her eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked her.

She nodded her head, her hands groping the back of my neck. She gnawed her bottom lip. I pressed my body against hers, lingering kisses down her shoulder as I unclasped her bra.

And sooner or later, my love and I drifted off into blissful euphoria.

…. …

**A/N: There you go guys! Hope you all liked it! I think Alex and Seth are just too cute for words! **

**For people who don't know, a vampire can be reattached if any part of their body had been separated. So Jasper's not going to be running around with no leg Lol. But what really happened? Who shot him in the leg? What was the vision Alice had all about? What's happening to Lizzie? What will happen next?**

**Until next time! **

**XoXoXo…**

**Gossip Vamps!**


	33. Chapter 33: You're Alive

**JACOB'S POV**

Nessie and I waltzed into her bedroom of the house she and her parents lived in. That whole freaky thing with Jasper was actually really freaky. After chopping his leg –not trying to sound morbid but that's exactly what happened– the poison immediately wore off, so it obviously wasn't extremely fatal –which was freaky – and that's when Edward reattached it with the venom –again, freaky!

Emmett mentioned that an arrow went through Jasper's leg but that was weird because I've always thought vampires weren't permeable but I guess I was wrong. And what was even weirder, the person that shot the arrow was supposedly a human so not only was it intended, but they probably planned it all because they were able to use something that could be harmful to bloodsuckers.

It's a good thing he recovered quickly –if I could say that since I didn't think vampires needed to recuperate from anything. We're definitely going to have to figure out what the hell happened soon because it seems as though we have a new threat ahead of us.

"I still can't believe that happened to Jasper," Nessie sighed as she threw her handbag on the small couch in the room.

"Yeah, I know." I replied as I shut the door behind me.

She expressed an exasperated sigh. "H-how could someone do this? How can anybody do this? W-why did – How – I mean." She trailed off, pressing her lips together and tapping them with her finger. "Jasper got hurt from god knows what and this whole thing with Lizzie – I – I don't think this is how things should be. I mean, should it?" She questioned, her voice breaking slightly.

I walked up to her and placed my arms on either side of her arms, rubbing them gently and placing my lips on her shoulder. Just then, she immediately calmed down and I felt her pulse weakening. She placed her soft, petite hand on my face.

"I'm sorry," She told me. "I'm sorry," She repeated as she turned around, placing her hands on my chest and staring at the ground.

"Hey," I told her, lifting her head up so she could face me. "What are you sorry about?"

"For acting like a total girl freak?" She chuckled weakly. "I mean, I'm acting like a big cry baby when I'm not the one in pain."

"Everyone is on edge right now. It's okay to feel like you want to help, it's okay to feel like you want to reverse all these situations but you can't do that." I pointed out. She looked up at me. "But I'll tell you this. Everything will be okay. We'll get through this. Jasper is fine, Lizzie will be too. We'll find this creep and deal with him in a way only a Cullen would and everyone will be fine." I assured her.

She curved a small smile and nodded her head.

She cupped my face in her hands, caressing it lightly before deepening her gaze.

"I love you," She whispered to me. I smiled, leaning down to plant a chaste kiss on her lips.

We pulled away to grin at each other.

"What do you want to do?" I asked her.

"Well, I'd like to collapse onto the bed and drown," She laughed as she walked over to her bed.

"Want me to get you anything?" I asked.

"I would really like some chamomile tea." She smiled at me as she slipped her shoes off.

"One chamomile tea coming up," I informed her as I began making my way to the door, opening it slightly when she stopped me.

"But I'd much rather hang out with you." She smiled widely.

I chuckled as I walked over to her, hopping onto the bed and adjusting myself on it –my body couldn't even fit in between the headboards of this queen size bed.

Nessie moved her body close to me and nuzzled up, placing her arm on my chest and her one leg in between mine.

We sat in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, just staring at the ceiling before I broke it.

"You know you have a chandelier in your bedroom, right?" I asked linguistically. She giggled.

"No, hey," She mentioned.

"I mean, what are the odds?" I chuckled as I wrapped my hand around the hand she had on my chest. "How's school going for you?"

"It's going okay, I guess." She replied. "We just got out SAT and PSAT scores back."

"You did?" I questioned. I could feel her nod her head. "Isn't it a kind of too late for that?"

"I know. The faxing system fried so we couldn't get our scores for months." She said.

"Who still faxes nowadays?"

"Apparently my school does." She chuckled. "Our principal is penny-pinching with all the school funds, so it's not like the school's broke." She laughed.

"That's sad."

She giggled. "So, how's work and college?"

I sighed. "Stressful. I was drowning in fifty cars in the last week alone and I had a couple assignments due yesterday."

"I wonder how you juggle that and the pack." She gasped. "I mean, I get that Leah has it all covered and all–"

"Oh, that too!" I replied. "Apparently, Leah's giving the guys all a tough time. They want me back like yesterday!"

Her beautiful giggle ringed in my ears but it soon stopped for a while as she began tracing her toes up my calf.

"Why don't you go back?" She asked me.

I stared down at her, eyebrows creased. "What?"

"I mean, why don't you go back and support your pack. I mean, they are your brothers." She told me.

"Nah," I simply replied.

Why would she think I'd just go back without her by my side? It was hard staying two feet away from her as it is! But then I remembered that she doesn't exactly know the full extent of my feelings for her.

And as much as I want to tell her, I don't want her to think she was always meant to be mine from the moment she was born. That would probably freak her out.

"Oh come on, you have to miss them." She pointed out.

"Yeah, sure, I do but I'm perfectly content where I am with you." I assured her. She pursed her lips together, furrowing her eyebrows adorably.

"What?" I chuckled.

"Why do you love me?" She questioned out of the blue.

"What?" I repeated, giving her a weird look.

"Why do you love me?" She reiterated.

I ran my hand over her head, gently stroking her hair. I don't know how she could ask such a question. I could write a whole list the size of a skyscraper of all the reasons why I loved her.

"Why do you think I love you?" I asked.

"Um…honestly, I thought it was mainly because you and I know each other so well that it just works." She said. "Do you think it works?"

"Of course, I do." I told her. "But there are so many more reasons why I love you."

"Oh, yeah, tell me a couple." She tested.

I chuckled. "Well, I love how you're able to challenge me all the time. I love how tenacious you are when things don't go your way. I love how you're able to bring everyone together, without even trying. You just light up the room. I love that cute frown you make when you're questioning something. I love your hair. I love your skin. I love your gorgeous brown eyes. I love your pink lips and pink cheeks. I love your delightful giggle. I love it when you gnaw your lip when you're nervous. I love when you chew on your hair when you're extremely excited –"

"I do not do that!" She gasped.

"You're right, you don't." I joked. She grunted as she punched me on my chest lightly. "I love every single facet about you."

Her cheeks burned brightly. "Jacob, you better stop with all these words or I'm forced to press charges on feels assault." She joked, fiddling with my V-neck shirt.

I laughed, imbedding my lips on her bronze head.

Suddenly, a rough, furry scent clogged my nostrils. I darted my head to see that cat waltzing into the crack of the door, meowing up a storm as it moved its body over to us.

"Hey, there, kitty!" Nessie greeted with a kinder tone.

The cat immediately jumped up onto the bed and sauntered its paws over to Nessie, not caring about my existence and situated itself between the empty space between us.

It took one good look at me and hissed at me. I gave it a frown. What was his problem?

"What's wrong with this cat? It's been snarling at me ever since you introduced it to me." I pointed out, not departing from the cat because I had no idea what it was capable of.

"It's cute!" Nessie cooed, pulling the cat against her face. "Aren't you little one?" She replied softly which caused the cat to purr back but then growl when it met with my eyes again.

"I don't think it's cute."

Nessie rolled her eyes. "Just pet it."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." I told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. Just try," She urged.

I sighed, because everything inside of me wanted to please my mate even if it could get me sliced in the end.

I flew my hand towards the kitten, reaching in to pet its head but just one swipe and I felt claws on my fingers. I pulled away quickly, groaning and eying my hand.

"It scratched me!" I moaned.

"You're scaring it." Nessie chuckled.

"How am I scaring it?" I questioned with eye bulged. "That thing's the scary one!"

"Shh! He can hear you." She murmured, covering its ears.

I rolled my eyes.

She placed the cat back onto the carpet and I watched as it sauntered quickly over to the soft window seat and hopped on it, curling into its body yet had its eyes fixated on me.

I shook my head, pulling Nessie close to me and grinning down at her.

"I miss Forks." She told me.

I smiled.

"Do you want to go back?" I asked.

"Yeah, maybe just to visit everybody. See how everyone's doing. I also want to see Charlie and Sue." She said. "But anyway, I've got school on the brain."

"Nerd," I teased.

She rolled her eyes.

Nessie and I had continued talking –a little more making out than talking – for the rest of the night until I noticed she was getting a bit tired. I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket and I dove in to reach for it, pulling it out to see a message from Edward.

_**Your times up. My daughter needs to go to bed and you need to go home.**_

I rolled my eyes. Of course I knew this was too good to be true.

"I have to hit the hay," I told my mate.

"No." She moaned, pouting her bottom lip lightly which reminded me so much of her childhood days. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave you too but, I don't think your dad will agree." I pointed out.

She sighed exasperatingly and placed her hand on my cheek. _When do you think we'll be able to be together all the time?_

"Soon, I promise," I assured her.

She nodded her head as she allowed me to hop off the bed and slip my shoes back on.

"You're going to work tomorrow?" She asked me as she pulled her slippers on.

"Yeah," I replied. "Want to come over afterschool?"

She grinned. "Can I?" She asked. I nodded my head vigorously. "I want to see you all greasy."

I laughed.

Nessie and I entwined our hands together as we made our way out her bedroom and down the stairs until we reached the door.

This is where the hard part begins.

I turned around, staring down at my mate for a second before draping an arm around her neck and pulling her into my chest. I felt her wrap her small arms around my waist firmly.

"I don't want to let go." She said to me.

"Me too," I replied as I pulled away slightly to kiss her lips, passionately before pulling apart to plant my lips on her forehead, letting it linger there for a while before departing them.

After a couple more seconds, we both let go of each other and I had my hand on the doorknob.

"Night," She told me.

"Night, kid." I told her as I opened the door and slipped out of the house, shutting the door behind me.

My heart immediately just froze and dropped. Realization kicked in. I was leaving my mate tonight.

… …

I made it back to the apartment –surprisingly because all I could focus on was Nessie. The minute I waltzed through the door, a weird mixture of scents filled my nose and I realized then that something wasn't right. Something just went down!

I flicked the lights on and was immediately met by a bundle on the couch. In that bundle laid two naked bodies, covered up in a large blanket and one of them releasing a rough snore.

I chuckled.

Seth got laid tonight! Seth finally got laid tonight!

I immediately pulled out my phone and took a picture of the pair and scrolled down to my contacts, forwarding the picture to every pack member and captioned: Our kid's all grown up!

I was instantly bombarded with messages.

**Seth finally let go of that ancient V-card! Yay**! Jared was the first to reply.

**Who's the sexy chick? **

-Brady

**Damn is the girl hot! How did Seth win a girl like that?**

-Collin

J**ake! Why are you sending me pictures of naked people at 12 am in the morning? **

-Sam

**Is this the chick Seth's been blabbering about and also, talk to Leah again. She went all grumples and broke Claire's phone and didn't apologize or replace it.**

-Quil

**Did he use protection?! And nice lampshade btw…**

-Embry

I chuckled and shook my head, slipping my phone into my back pocket. Seth had a lot of explaining to do tomorrow.

After grabbing something to drink and snack on, I went to my bedroom, pulling my shirt and jeans off and hopping onto the bed, immediately falling to sleep and getting my dream on about Nessie.

The next day, I hopped off the bed and slipped out of my room to use the bathroom when I caught the sight of Alex shoving her boots on.

I glanced back at the couch to see Seth sitting up, looking groggy as he rubbed his eye with the heel of his palm.

I grinned. Perfect!

"Good morning, love birds!" I greeted casually as I walked confidently into the room, making my way to the kitchen as I noticed all the horrid stares at the corner of my eyes.

"Uh, morning Jake, I didn't think you'd be home." Seth pointed out.

"Oh I've been home since last night." I replied with a wide grin as I pulled a cup from the cabinet. "Want coffee?" I asked the two, mostly fixing my eyes on Alex who was blushing hard.

"No, thanks," She replied.

I smiled as I grabbed the milk carton from the fridge, opening it and intentionally spilling some out of my cup.

"Oh, I've _spilled_! Dammit! I'm such a klutz. I should be more _careful_ next time. I wouldn't want to be _caught_ doing the same mistake or _action_ again." I teased. I looked up to see faces of pure embarrassment.

I tried my very best to stifle a laugh.

"U-um…I'm gonna go." Alex informed us.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Seth got up, in nothing but his boxer briefs and made his way over to walk Alex out of the apartment.

"I'll see you at school." Seth told her.

"Um…sure," She replied. "Goodbye, Jake."

"Oh it is a good bye to you too, Alex! Stay safe!" I called back. She didn't reply and that's when I heard the door shut.

Suddenly, I felt a couch cushion hit my head. I laughed as I went to pick it up.

"What is wrong with you?" Seth demanded.

I chuckled. "Just having some innocent fun." I joked. "So, you and Alex huh? Seems to be going really fast and furious!"

"Oh, shut up!" Seth growled, scratching his chest.

"Okay, now in all seriousness. You had sex with Alex?" I questioned. He didn't reply. "On my couch?"

"It just happened, okay! We had a moment and things just went…they just went okay!" He replied.

"You guys used protection right?" I probed. He hopped onto the counter and grabbed an apple. "You two did use a condom, right?" I asked again, this time more firmly when he didn't answer immediately.

"Of course we did! I'm not stupid."

I shrugged. "Well, you are in a relationship with a minor."

"And you're in a relationship with a seven your old. Remember that, pedophile." He replied, hopping off the counter and throwing the apple back into the bowl. I heaved a sigh. "She knows about us."

I frowned. "You told her everything?"

"Not everything, but she knows that I'm a shapeshifter." He told me.

"How did you tell her?" I asked.

"That's the thing. I didn't need to tell her. She just knew!" He chuckled. I furrowed my eyebrows. "But I think she's going to start asking questions."

"Yeah, I'm sure she would." I sighed.

He nodded his head. "I'll figure it out."

I nodded.

"I'm going to take a shower." He told me.

"Yeah, and don't forget to take my couch to scrubbing. I want it spotless by the end of the day!" I called out as he walked down the hall.

"Yeah, whatever!" He shouted.

"I'm serious!" I called.

… …

**REA'S POV**

There's a key to applying murky eyeliner. You have to always know the right quality not specifically the right quantity.

I've been applying dark eyeliner for the past six years and it grew to dark lipstick to dark contacts to dark clothing. I felt content in all of this because it matched so well with my screwed up life.

Things like going to parties and having fun with friends is not my cup of tea. No, no. Running over a raccoon makes my heart rejoice. Sleeping with my best friend, Rea-Rodent-Piece-of-crap makes me happy. Tuning my mother out was like music to my ears. Pearl Jam is my heart and soul. There's nothing that could change that.

I could hear a car pull up the overly expensive tiles of the driveway.

"He arrived!" I heard my mother's revolting voice squeal from downstairs. I rolled my eyes, applying gloomy lipstick on my lips.

It's probably one of my mom's punkass, top shot co-workers. When my father got killed in that stupid plane crash, my mother automatically took over the family's business. It wasn't thriving as it used to be when my dad was running it –no shocker there since we have a psycho amateur running it.

I hate how just the thought of her makes my blood boil. I hate her!

Don't get me wrong, we weren't all that bad. My rotten excuse for a mother and I were pretty close back then but then she just stopped being my mom. So, I stopped being her daughter, it was as simple as that.

I didn't even realize she came back home last night from her supposed 'trip to the hospital'. Frankly, I didn't care.

"It's so great to have you back. You don't have any idea how happy I am." I heard that specimen mention, her voice breaking.

I rolled my eyes. That was her technique to snuggle her way into sponsors, profits, investments, you name it. I think she'd be great as a hooker, if it wasn't for the fact that she's over 9000 years old!

"It's good to be back, mother." The voice…that voice...

The voice I had been wanting, no, aching to hear for over six years had just reached my ears. It made my heart drop.

I never thought I'd hear that voice ever and yet…I just did. I-I can't believe it! I couldn't believe it.

I hurriedly hopped over my dresser chair, causing it to fall down and ran out of my room and began charging down the mahogany staircases and walls. But slowed down when I reached the second.

Should I go for it? Should I go down there and look for something to only have my hopes and dreams shattered completely? Should I take that risk and crawl into a hole for another six years?

"The house looks different."

"After the crash, we thought we'd want a change of scenery but your room's still the same. It would've been excruciating to change the only memory of you." My mother replied.

I shut my eyes, breathing in deeply as I stepped off the second flights of stairs and onto my third one. It was then I was met with the familiar green eyes that matched with mine. The eyes that belonged to my father.

It looked like my brother. It resembled my brother but I don't know…he seemed so different. Was it the newly profound pale skin? Was it his face? Was it his rigidness? I don't know but I know I'm asking myself the wrong questions.

Just one curve of the lips and my heart fluttered as I processed everything. He was alive! He was actually alive!

"You're alive! You're alive!" I cried out uncontrollably as I charged down the stairs and flung myself into his large arms, the arms that used to comfort me in my sleep.

"Yes, I am, little kite." He whispered into my hair.

When my mother first told me about him, when she told me he was alive. I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it because that's what I have been hoping for all my life to hear and to hear it come out of her lips seemed like such a joke.

However, now, I know!

Oliver Reed is alive!

"Don't you ever leave me again, okay?" I cried.

"Never,"

I grinned for the first time in ages. I actually managed to muster a genuine grin and feel a sense of happiness.

… …

I skipped school today in order to spend as much quality time with my brother as I can get.

Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better, it didn't when our mother came to tell us to prepare for Oliver's welcome home dinner tonight. Oliver's best friends, Jordan and Byron were invited and so was my mother's fiancé, Wren.

Did I mention my mother tried to replace my dad's place only a year after he died? Yeah, well I don't know why she jumped right into a relationship but taking her so long to get hitched. It's probably the guilt.

Our help and butlers set the plates in front of us. I rolled my eyes. Was this really necessary? It's not like we don't have feet that don't work? Why do we have to be lazy asses?

"So, tell me. What have I missed?" Oliver asked, sitting on the seat that would've belonged to our dad. He deserved to be there more than anyone else. It's great to see my brother than my mother's fiancé on that seat.

"Well," Byron was the first to reply. "NBA games, Lakers vs. Miami Heat, Miami Heat got totaled obviously. The World Cup, absolute flop! The Mets are still number one though."

"I'm still a Dodger's fan till the end." Jordan replied.

"The Hunger Games got turned into a movie phenomenon. Michael Jackson and Whitney died –rest in peace. Uh…there's that gay group, _Five Directions_. Or is it _One_…oh, yeah, it's _Different Direction_." Byron injected. "Bones ripped a page, Sweets died. Yesterday's episode messed me up, dude in all kids of ways!"

"Oh yeah, Kimye happened!" Jordan added.

"What's Kimye?" Oliver demanded.

"Kanye and Kim," Jordan and Byron replied in unison.

I looked at my brother and noticed the frown on his face. I giggled as I popped the strip of chicken in my mouth.

"You know what? You don't even need to know. Nobody does! And nobody really cares!" Jordan said.

"Yeah, that whole Kardashinimo family sucks balls."

"I am sure Oliver was referring to what has changed in all our lives, isn't that right, son?" Our mother, Morine asked him. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, mother." Oliver nodded his head slightly.

"Well, I won three tickets to next week's Mets versus Dodgers game?" Jordan pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"How's school, little kite?" My brother questioned.

I looked up at him.

"It's school." I told him simply. He smiled at me slightly, not moving his eyes from me.

"So yeah, well there are loads' more things happening out there." Byron pointed out. I tuned him out after that. I couldn't move past Oliver's presence. I still couldn't believe he was here, right now with all of us.

Losing both my father and brother to a plane crash wasn't good for my eleven year old heart. I knew they shouldn't have gone on that trip together. I was shattered when I heard the news and I wasn't the only on. Luke lost his sister, Hanna in the same crash. I didn't know how he was doing. I need to talk to him.

I shook my train of thought away as I continued transfixing my gaze on my brother.

I noticed that he didn't seem responsive. Everyone else was blabbering on about their lives yet he just sat there. I mean he hadn't even touched his food at all.

"What was it like there?" I questioned bluntly, cutting whoever was talking off.

Oliver turned to me and smiled. "Dark,"

I smiled slightly.

"Oliver, we have to get you out. Have fun exploring the city. We have tons to catch up on." Jordan stated.

"I think that's a fantastic idea!" Morine stated. "It will definitely be lovely to see you out and about again."

"Great. So, I'll swing by the office then."

Wren and Morine almost choked on their drinks.

"Um, son…" Wren pointed out in his Scottish accent. "Reed Enterprises isn't going anywhere. You should catch up with your friends."

Oliver eyed the man carefully, giving him this look I had never seen before. The maid walked in to place the sweeteners when she almost tripped over the rag but my brother was quick to support her.

I was shocked at how quick he was to use reflexes. Where did he get those reflexes? How did he even -?

"Sorry, mi maître." She said to him profusely.

My brother muttered something to her in French which she gladly smiled to so it was probably something pleasant. I frowned.

"Wow!" Byron laughed.

"I didn't know you spoke French, Oliver." Wren pointed out, smiling at him happily.

"I didn't know you're plotting to sleep with my mother, Wren." Oliver grinned back.

I turned to see Morine's embarrassed, slightly stunned demeanor. She glared at me and I rolled my eyes, dropping my napkin and falling back onto the chair. Of course she'd immediately think it was me, as always!

"I didn't tell him anything." I replied truthfully.

"She didn't need to tell me anything." Oliver added, giving our mother a questionable, judging look.

Morine sighed as she came to terms with it. She and Wren snuck a glance at each other before locking hands proudly, turning to Oliver.

"Oliver. Wren and I are engaged." Morine told my brother. "It happened a couple of years ago."

"So, why couldn't you tell me?" Oliver questioned.

"I – We didn't want you to think something of it." Morine answered.

"Like disrespecting my father, replacing dad?" Oliver stated, his voice rising slightly but he bit his lip down suddenly. "It's okay," He said, nodding his head but still giving her a disapproving look.

"We thought you and Benjamin were essentially…well, gone." Wren mentioned, clearing his throat.

"I said it's okay." Oliver replied to him and then got up in his seat, folding his napkin, placing it neatly on the mahogany table. "Excuse me. Thank you for the lovely dinner but I've lost my appetite." He said and slipped out of his chair.

He made a round, planting a kiss on my head before walking out of the room.

I stared at my plate, furrowing my eyebrows in a saddened frown.

My dad and brother had always been close as any father and son should be but I could only imagine that having to live with the fact that you watched your dad die in front of you and being alone in the middle of nowhere and to come back to know your mother had already picked the first bachelor to take his place. It's hard to take in.

I really needed to start reevaluating my life because I don't want to lose any more people in my life.

… …

**A/N: Hey guys! There you have it. One other chapter of this crazy story! Don't hate on Rea for being a sourpuss too quickly guys, she's been through a lot. I've come to a decision and here it is…drum roll (just kidding). There will be 10-15 chapters left of this story so I'll have to warn you that this is going to be a bumpy ride. **

**There will be blood, tears, heartache, deceit and suffering. However, I assure you that there will be more love, friendships, hilarious moments and ultimate 'goals' everything!**

**Jake and Nessie will be inseparable and will grow more in love with each other –it'll be the focal point of each chapter. Alex and Seth will be right on their tail. We'll see Nessie's abilities grow and how strong she really is, both emotionally and physically. We'll see what happens to the girls in terms of the supernatural world. You'll all get answers on who's the latest threat to the Cullen's and how that involves Alice's visions. And how has Nessie managed to keep her secret as a vampire/human for this long? Will that change?**

**Synopsis of Chapter 34-35: We'll see the final moments left of Lizzie's pregnancy and how that affects the family. Will she survive? Or will she have to face imminent death thus affecting the child as well?**

**Please review!**


	34. Chapter 34: Hope

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I awakened the next morning to my piercingly ring-y alarm. As I reached for the snooze button, I heard my mother's cry reach my ears.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" She called.

I groaned. "Just five more minutes!"

"You have two minutes!" I thought she'd compromised but I know her enough to know she doesn't compromise on anything; she's as stubborn as my father says she is.

I moaned, covering my head with my pillow.

After two minutes and five seconds, I reluctantly slipped out of my covers. I did my bed inhumanly fast and just as quickly prepared for the day.

"All I asked was for five more minutes," I sighed as I descended the stairs with my handbag draped on my shoulder. I waltzed into the kitchen where I caught my mother standing behind the stove.

"Yeah, well that's what happens when you spend the whole night with your _boyfriend_." She teased me, but I couldn't help smiling at the word. It still amazes me that Jake and I are together.

I took a seat on one of the island chair at the same time she placed a breakfast plate of bacon, hash browns, toast and eggs in front of me. I grinned…mmm…

Eggs!

"_Merci_," I said to her in French as I grabbed a fork and dug in. "Is dad still busy with Lizzie?"

"Yeah," My mother simply replied, not saying too much and not saying too little.

I nodded my head. My father and grandfather were on edge. It was as if they were trying to crack a never-ending code with Lizzie and the baby, so it's expected that they'd put this as their first priority.

I understood how my mother felt about the whole situation too since she's been in the same shoes before. I understood that _she_ understands what Lizzie's going through and that's a testament to her actions. She hadn't left Lizzie's side this whole time. She'd only leave if she wasn't needed or if Lizzie asked her to.

This made me realize that I myself haven't been much of a support to Lizzie's experience.

"I just wish I could help out in some way." I told her.

"You are, just by being present." Bella told me as she stood like a statue by the edge of the island table.

I raised an eyebrow. "Mom, I haven't been exactly in reach this whole time. I'm sure Lizzie hates me."

"No. No. Of course not," She assured me. "You can help out by having hope. Hope that this will be just water under the bridge. Let's hope that Lizzie will survive this because that's all she needs right now."

I nodded my head in understanding and exhaled a sigh. I could do that. Or at least I could try.

"I don't want to go to school." I moaned, hopping off the subject immediately.

"That's a first. Ever since you started, you couldn't stop blabbering about going to school 24/7." She pointed out.

"Actually, it's 24/5 since there's only five days of school." I corrected but regretted it almost immediately because I received a teasing look from my mother.

"Well, clever champ. It seems like the school is really devoted in helping you out with math and _smart tongue_ studies." She said to me. I rolled my eyes at my mother.

"Oh, mother…" I stated with a sigh. "I wish I can call up an Uber." I pointed out, realizing I still had to drive myself to school when I'm practically half asleep.

I suddenly beamed and looked at my mother. She quickly realized where I was going with this and shook her head.

"Oh no," She dismissed, walking around. I pouted. "I'm not taking you to school if that's where you're getting at. The reason your father and I got you a car is so we could get away from that exact look." She added, pinching my cheeks.

"You said you want to be independent." She mentioned as I heard her walk up to the door. "Now you're independent." She finished off as she opened the door and gestured the way for me.

"All right, fine." I grumbled as I got up from my chair and shrugged my bag on my shoulder. I ran over to her, grabbing the car keys she had dangling off her finger.

"Love you," She said to me.

"Love you, bye." I said, kissing her cheek before running over to my car.

… …

I stopped by Alex's house to pick her up since her car broke down a month back. I pulled my phone out of my bag and dialed Jake's number. He answered on the first ring.

I chuckled. _"Good morning, Ms. Cullen,"_ He greeted in a husky, southern voice.

"Morning, Mr. Black," I said in a teasing tone. "How are you?"

"_Not good, since I'm not with you but a little better now that I hear your voice." _He said to me.

My cheeks burned bright. "Cheesy but cute," I replied with a giggle. "What are you doing?"

"_Uh…just preparing for work, what about you?"_ He asked.

"Picking Alex up for school today," I said, glancing out the window to see if she's out of the house. "I miss you like crazy!"

"_Consider me a nutcase then because I miss you so much more than that."_ He told me.

"I doubt it," I replied.

"_Oh, yeah?"_ He mentioned, his voice was so thick and deep as he teased me. His tone made my stomach turn and sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't help gnawing my lip.

"_We're still up for later?"_ He asked me, clearly referring to my visit at the autoshop later. I nodded my head, although he couldn't see it.

"Definitely," I said to him, grinning from ear-to-ear. I noticed Alex walk out of her house. "I gotta go, but I'll text you later."

"_Or maybe I'll text you first."_ He replied.

"We'll see about that." I giggled. "I love you."

"_Love you too, Ness."_ He said before we both hung up.

I grinned as I carefully eyed his Caller ID picture of me and him throwing goofy faces to the camera. I never thought I'd be this happy in my entire life. He makes me so happy and it's only just the beginning.

God! I love this man so much!

"Good morning, sexy." Alex greeted me as she hopped in the passenger seat. I smiled.

"Hey," I said, slipping my phone back into my handbag. I turned to Alex and flashed a wide grin, placing my hands on the wheel. "How are you?"

She had an amused look on her face. "Good. How are you, Ms. Jolly-pants?"

I shrugged. "I am…great." I said to her with a chuckle. "I heard you and Seth had a good night."

Her eyes suddenly shot straight up at the mention of her and Seth's names.

"W-who told you that? Jake?" She stammered.

I shook my head. "You did. Remember?"

She released a heavy sigh. "Oh, right." She replied.

I frowned. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

She didn't respond.

"Omigosh!" I gasped. "Something did happen, didn't it?" I demanded.

She smiled sheepishly, trying her best to hide her blush with her hair.

"Drive, please." She urged.

I laughed as I pressed the ignition button on and the car roared.

As we hit the road, uncomfortable silence drew in. I awkwardly made a turn where I was now on the 112 freeway. The silence was thickening and the air was tense. I couldn't take it in anymore.

"You know what, I can't!" I retorted, turning to Alex. "Please tell me!"

"No, Renesmee!" She cried out. I sighed. "Now, can we put some music up in here?" She questioned as she reached for the radio.

Ryan Seacrest's voice ringed in the car as she tuned into kfm.

"Now this song is dedicated to all you lovers out there." He mentioned before the familiar song reached our ears.

Jason Chen – Best Friend.

My eyes bulged. Not at the fact that this was a really good song but it was because that this particular song was about falling in love with your best friend of many years and that's exactly what happened with Jake and me.

Sure, I'm probably being an idiot for losing my mind over this but Alex didn't know about Jake and I. I didn't want me ending up with Jake only a day and half after breaking up with her brother jeopardize our friendship.

"Um…I don't like this song. Let's change it," I laughed as I changed radio station.

"We are best friends, right, right, right, right. Because we are best friends…right!" Amy Winehouse's voice ringed in my ears. I widened my eyes, quickly changing the channel again.

I was only met with one of the sappiest, romantic songs about 'falling in love with your best friend' of all time!

_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend_

_Lucky to have been where I have been_

_Lucky to be coming home again_

_They don't know how long it takes_

_Waiting for a love like this_

_Every time we say goodbye _

_I wish we had one more kiss_

_I'll wait for you I promise you, I will-_

I shut the radio off. Alex gave me a confused, worried facial expression which I couldn't help but laugh awkwardly to.

"I don't feel like listening to the radio." I said to her with a nervous smile.

"Um…okay," She replied. "So, my dad and I were talking…"

As we drove through the neighborhood, I peeked out the window and caught a glimpse of someone in all suede catching my eye across the road. I frowned when I noticed the person's bloodcurdling, crimson eyes bore into mine and that sinister look _he_ gave me.

His exposed skin had been sparkling bright in the Californian sun. I blinked once and the man just disappeared.

Weird…

"Nessie, are you there?" Alex asked pulled, suddenly pulling me out of my trance.

"Sorry, uh, you were saying?" I asked as I reached the school.

"I think my dad knows more about what's happening in this town then he should." She told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, as I pulled into my parking space of the school.

"Well..." She paused as she and I slipped out of my car. I shut the door. "You know my dad's part of the FBI, right? Well, he's been investigating about all these killings but somehow, I believe he's hiding something, not only to me but to the entire Federal Bureau of Investigation board."

"That's a huge allegation to conclude to. Are you sure it's not just top secret to the FBI?" I asked.

"Okay, suppose it is. Then can you explain all the sneaking around? All the weird meetings with people who are most definitely not part of the FBI? What about when he tells me to be careful about creepy creatures lurking around? What does that tell you?"

I frowned.

"That he's a protective dad?" I shrugged.

"I'm serious!" She said. "I think my dad's part of the mafia."

I chuckled. "Come on, Alex."

"What other possible reason could there be? He's always leaving with weapons such as rifles, grenades, bow and arrows –"

"Wait… did you say bow and arrows?" I asked.

It immediately took me back to when Jasper got attacked with an arrow-like weapon on his leg that was actually able to penetrate through him.

"Yeah, I told you my family are nuts for archery." She said to me as we watched one of the students drive past us.

"Anyway, I'm starting to think there's something in the water. Something's not adding up." She said to me.

"What are you guys talking about?" Rea's voice reached us as followed us closely. I smiled at her.

"My dad's hiding something from me." Alex replied to the girl.

"Hiding what?" Rea questioned.

"I'm not sure but I'm sure it has something to do with the killings." Alex stated. We turned to her. "How does he know so much about the murders?"

"I don't know, maybe he's secretly part of an allegiance elite team that battles homicidal attackers." Rea joked. Alex widened her eyes. "I'm joking,"

"That could be it!" She gasped.

"Alex, I think you need to let it go. I don't think your dad wants you to know." I told her. "It's probably for the best."

She shook her head. "Lying to me is not good for me, Ness. If he's trying to protect me from god knows what then maybe I should know what I'm being protected from, right?"

I eyed Rea carefully. She gave me a shrug before she turned to Alex.

"Look. I don't know your dad enough to judge him but I know that he loves you and because of that, he might hide things from you. I mean, we all hide from our parents all the time so won't that be hypocritical if we get angry if they did the same?" She pointed out.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Alex sighed.

The girls and I sauntered into the school building to see the school being crowded by all the students of OWHS.

Immediately we were met by Felicity's vibrant energy as she made her way over to us.

"Looks like someone traded her hospital gown for a _Ralph Lauren_ dress and _Louis Vuitton_ heels!" I joked.

She grinned.

"The dress is _Versace_ and these are flats but who cares! I'm back with my girls!" She squealed as she pulled us all in a group hug.

"We're so glad you're back, Lecity!" Alex said to the girl.

"How was your last night in that hellhole hospital?" Rea asked.

"Thankfully, I didn't lose my mind." Felicity replied. "But how are you? We all heard the news about your brother?"

"Yeah, how was it like seeing him again?" I asked.

Rea sighed and shrugged. "It's great to have him back, but it's different, knowing that my dad's gone and that he's back but it's not really him…you know?"

We nodded our heads. "We're glad you're happy."

"I don't know. For the first time in forever, I actually am happy." Rea said, flashing a genuine smile I've never seen on her before.

I grinned as I pulled her in a hug.

"Okay. I'm still on the fence with the whole mushiness though." She replied gruffly. I laughed as I pulled away, only to be met with the bell that informed us to get to class.

"I've got Calculus," I told my friends.

"Yeah, me too," Felicity said. "See you guys at lunch?"

"Yup!" Alex nodded her head.

We all went our separate ways and waited until we met up again.

… …

The students all rolled out of the classroom when the school bell went off. I grabbed my bag and walked out of Geography class with Alex –who was giving some seductive glances at Seth who blushed in return. I rolled my eyes. Why are they so darn cute?

"You guys can stop now! It's school not the Bachelor or The Price is Right!" I pointed out.

Alex rolled her eyes.

She was about to answer when she was instantly cut off by the sounds of people fighting in the hallway.

"What the hell is this, Hunter? Huh?!" Felicity retorted as she glared up at her boyfriend, shoving her phone at him. "What is this text with a picture of you and this tramp canoodling that _you_ sent me all about?"

"Do you like it?" Hunter pointed out, grinning smugly. "I hope you also like the caption: Having a fantastic time without you."

Felicity chuckled. "What does this mean?"

"I don't think this… you and I…this thing's not working out. I hope you understand." Hunter told her insincerely. Felicity gasped. "It's not you, it's me. I hope I got it right." He whispered the last part to himself thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Felicity pointed out, her voice breaking as tears began welling up in her eyes. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"I'm setting you free…" Hunter murmured against her lips before laughing. "But technically, yeah…I'm dumping you."

"B-B-But…" Felicity stammered. "I thought you loved me."

"I do, sort of, kind of, maybe love you but you're not that popular anymore, Felicity. I don't want to be seen with someone who used to be popular but now isn't and only becomes popular because she's with me. Do you get it?" Hunter said to her.

"I don't understand." She whispered sadly.

"You never do." Hunter shook his head. "Oh, well. I guess that's it. Uh…see you around!" He said, giving her an air kiss before walking away with her laughing jock friends.

Alex and I stared at each other in shock before running over to Felicity who stood there speechless.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alex asked her.

Felicity shook her head.

"I don't need him." Felicity said, as she noticed all the stares. "I don't need you!" She shouted out to Hunter who couldn't care less.

"Felicity," I tried to appease her.

… …

"I don't know what I did wrong? I've always been a good girl. I've never lied…well beside the time I crashed my car and blamed it on John Stamos but, I don't deserve this humiliation! Do I?" Felicity sobbed to us as she stood by the sink of the girls' bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror.

"No. You don't." I replied to her.

"I thought it was different with him, you know." Felicity cried.

"Okay, I can't. I can't even." Alex pointed out, dropping the fifteenth tissue in the trashcan. "Let's cut all this barrage bullcrap and be honest that Hunter was the douchiest douche of the century. Felicity, you and the entire Oakland Woods population knows that your relationship with that dickass was toxic. To break up with you over a text is crazy but to break up with you in front of the whole school a day after you were in the hospital is just sick! He treated you like a rodent and you're going to sit here and waste your tears on that specimen?"

"Alex!" I reproached.

"I'm sorry but it's the truth! I'm not going to sugarcoat the fact that he's a dick! I would know because I dated the guy. He's a coward! He doesn't deserve someone like you Felicity. You're a knockout and to watch you cry over this ruthless, son of a gun when in fact you should be celebrating that you're free is pissing me off!" Alex stated angrily.

Felicity sniffled. "You think I'm a knockout?"

Alex gasped. "That's what you got from all of this?"

"What Alex means is…" I sighed, eying my chestnut-haired friend carefully. "You're a woman who doesn't need a guy to define who she is."

"You guys really mean that?" Felicity asked.

"Of course we do!" Alex stated. Felicity smiled.

"Thank you," Felicity said as she grabbed some toilet paper when her tissue ran out and blew into it. "I'm such an idiot."

"You loved him. I think we all know how that feels." I told her.

"But he's not worth the tears. Leave it for someone who deserves your love." Alex told her. "Look, I know a way to get over a broken heart."

Felicity sniffed and turned to her. "What?"

Alex and I eyed each other and smiled.

"A haircut!" We both said at the same time.

… …

After taking Felicity to the hair salon afterschool, I dropped Alex home and made my way to Rowdy's Repair Shop where Jake worked. As I walked into the huge garage filled with the smell of rusty cars and oil, I searched for Jake's musky scent.

Two guys wolf-whistled in the corner the minute I walked in. I rolled my eyes as I skimmed through the room and trying to sniff out Jake's scent in the room but it wasn't necessary when I noticed a tall, muscular man in a navy blue jumpsuit fixing up a truck.

I grinned in excitement as I sneakily walked up to him and placed my hands on his waist but was shocked when he spun around and suddenly held me by the arms.

"Nice try," He sniggered, his eyebrows raised.

I gnawed my bottom lip. "Just wanted to startle you!"

"I can smell your scent from a mile away. It's pretty hard for you to startle me Nessie." He teased as he let go of me. I grinned as I hopped onto the nearest countertop.

"I thought you'd get lost on your way here." He told me as he bent down to grab a wrench from the toolbox.

"Are you insinuating I'm not good with directions, Jacob?" I asked him probingly.

"No. No. Of course not," He said. "But I do recall you getting lost in that amusement park back in Forks."

"Hey! I was technically ten years old." I defended.

"You had a map." He reminded.

"Yeah, well…" I shrugged my shoulders.

He chuckled as he slipped the massive tire of the truck out like a pro. His immense strength was still unfathomable to me.

"How was school?" He asked me as he placed the tire on the ground and grabbed a bunch of other tools.

"It was good, I guess." I told him truthfully. "But it turned intense when Hunter broke up with Felicity."

He furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Your friends?"

"Yeah, well, Felicity's my friend." I said, rolling my eyes at just the thought of Hunter. He made me sick. "Anyway, how was your day?"

"You're looking at it." He pointed out.

I smiled. "Yeah, what are you doing over there?"

"This 1960 Chevy finally broke down yesterday so I'm just trying to figure out what the culprit was. I'll be done in a few." He told me. I nodded my head.

He made his way over to me to grab a clipboard and began jotting something down. I couldn't help but gawk at his amazing physique. Despite all the grease and stains, his outfit was certainly doing him justice. His bulging chest was on full display through his white tank top as I noticed his jumpsuit wasn't fully zipped up. The sweat oozing off his face and exposed collarbone complimented the look and don't get me started on that messy hair of his.

My breathing hitched.

I pulled my water bottle from bag and took a swig of it.

"What time is it?" He asked inaudibly as he glanced at his wristwatch. "Don't you have practice today?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah, but I skipped it so I could waste my time on you." I told him.

"Mmm…" He hummed as he came close to place the clipboard beside me. He leaned in to plant a kiss on my lips but I arched my head back.

"You have grease all over you." I giggled.

"Gee, sorry," He apologized.

I shook my head. "I don't care." I said to him, placing my hand behind his head and pulling him into a small, gentle kiss on the lips.

"Mr. Black!" We heard a demanding voice reach our ears.

Both Jake and I hurriedly drew away from each other to meet with the man's eyes. He didn't look happy.

"Yes, Mr. Rowdy." Jake said, clearing his throat.

"Are you done with Vehicle Number 63?" He questioned.

"Yeah, it's done sir." Jake replied.

The older, grey-haired man turned to me and gave me a disapproving look before turning to Jake.

"Finish up," He simply replied before walking away.

Jake exhaled a deep breath the same time I released a sigh.

"I'm sorry," I said to him.

He chuckled as he spun towards me. "It's okay. I'm sorry,"

I smiled. "That was close."

"You have no idea." He said to me, caressing my cheek lightly before clearing up. "We can leave in a couple of minutes."

"Okay, let me help you." I said as I hopped off the counter.

I immediately felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from an Unknown number.

_**Fooling around with your boyfriend I see? Let's make sure he keeps his job while he still can.**_

My eyebrows furrowed.

What the hell?

"Nessie?" Jake called for me. I looked up to see him staring at me worriedly. "You good?"

"Yep," I said, slipping my phone in my jean pocket.

… …

After stopping by Jake's apartment so that he could take a shower, we made our way to the Cullen house with my car later that day. Jake and I walked into the mansion with our hands entwined together firmly.

"Ugh, I knew I smelt a dog a mile away!" Rosalie whispered to someone.

I rolled my eyes as Jake and I walked into the living room where we found most of my family members congregated together as they had their eyes transfixed on the wide TV screen.

"And the Oscar for Best Female Actress in a Supporting Role goes to…" A female celebrity mentioned.

"Hey, guys!" I said to my family.

They all chorused a reply whilst Lizzie flashed a weak smile as she roamed her hand over her giant belly, her other hand holding Rosalie's hand whom was running a hand over her head soothingly.

My grin fell when I saw that scene.

"Where are the others?" Jake asked as he hopped on one of the small loungers, assigning me to his lap and wrapping his arms around me.

"Edward and Carlisle are in his office. Jasper and Emmett are in the backyard." Bella told us.

I nodded my head.

"You guys are a thing now? This is real?" Lizzie mentioned softly, lifting her hand up to jab her finger towards us but grunted at the sudden pain.

Jake nodded his head and answered in behalf of both of us –since I didn't trust my voice because I might just break down.

"Yeah," He replied.

"Well, if I didn't know about supernatural love and that age doesn't matter when it comes to it, I'd think you guys are cute but this is too adorable for words." Lizzie pointed out.

"I'll have to strongly disagree with you on this, Liz." Rosalie pointed out. "Nessie's perfect but her choice in men is appalling."

"Thank you for your approval, Cinderella. It means so much!" Jake stated sarcastically.

"You guys will never stop, will you?" My mother questioned. "Almost eight years and you two are still at it."

"People who hate each other secretly like each other," Alice said. "You guys can drop the façade."

Jake and Rosalie gagged at the thought.

"I think I'm going to puke."

"You can't puke, dumbass!" Jake stated.

I rolled my eyes at the pair.

My eyes landed onto Nahuel who I thought was watching the TV screen intently but was instead staring at both Jake and I together. I noticed his facial expression was emotionless, and if it wasn't, it was hard to read it.

I frowned.

"Nessie. Off. Jacob. Now!" My father's voice echoed into the room. I sighed as I looked up to see him staring down at the two of us.

"Dad! How are you? I'm great, thanks for asking!" I said with an annoyed frown as I hopped out of Jake's grasp and sat on the opposite couch beside him. I sprawled my legs over the arm of his sofa where I immediately felt his warm hands run over my skin.

Edward eyed us carefully. I shrugged my shoulders casually, crossing my arms together. He sighed as made his way to Lizzie's side.

"Lizzie." He said as he bent down to her length. "Carlisle and I have figured out a way to get some blood into your system. We will only go through with it if you're ready and comfortable with it."

Lizzie nodded her head. "I'll do anything." She mentioned.

He nodded his head and just then, Carlisle walked into the room with a tub full of blood and tubes in his freehand. Edward and Carlisle began wrapping her up in the tubes until they were met with their last one.

"Okay, Lizzie. Open your mouth wide, please." Carlisle said calmly. Lizzie obliged. "This might be easier for you to swallow."

After placing the tube in, Carlisle turned the machine on and the tubes began imbibing the O-Negative blood from the bank. We all watched, amazed as the blood made a slow journey through the rollercoaster ride of tubes and meeting with Lizzie's mouth.

We all sat there, waiting patiently for Lizzie's response. She shut her eyes as she let the blood dance on her tongue and flow down her throat. I watched as the blood coursed through her veins almost instantaneously.

"S-so, how is it?" Rosalie asked the girl.

I heard my father chuckle lightly, clearing reading her mind.

"It tastes…" Lizzie began after Carlisle shut the machine and pulled the tube out of her mouth. She inhaled a deep breath. "Disgusting, I have no idea how you guys enjoy that! Blurgh!" She mentioned, flashing a revolted look.

Some members of family erupted in small chuckles.

"I thought it was good the first time." Bella replied.

"Probably because you were all-human Bella, never hates anything!" Jake replied. "Lizzie represents every shapeshifter right now!"

I laughed, thrusting him lightly with the heel of my kicks.

Carlisle sat beside Lizzie and held her arm, feeling her pulse.

"Your pulse's getting stronger, just as expected." Carlisle replied with a smile.

"So that means it's good?" Lizzie asked.

"It's great!" Rosalie replied.

Lizzie grinned.

For the next thirty minutes, Lizzie had gone through three blood bags and I actually noticed her regaining some color to her previously deathlike skin.

"This is so bizarre…" Lizzie said incredulously as she ran her hand over her protruding belly.

"So, have you picked out any names yet?" Rosalie asked inquisitively.

All heads darted at her, eyes were narrowed at her sudden change of mood. Why did she pick this time to have a sentimental conversation with someone who's dying-?

I promised I'd be helpful.

"Rose," Esme chided lightly.

The blonde beauty shrugged her shoulders.

"No, it's okay. I actually have some names in mind." Lizzie smiled.

All the girls suddenly perked up in interest.

"You better not pull a Bella on us!" Jake joked and I contemplated laughing or kicking him.

"That's one thing dog and I can agree on." Rosalie nodded her head.

Lizzie ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, um…I'm not sure about the girl though."

"I've got one. How about Zoe?" Alice pointed out, high-pitched. "Or April? Or Marley? Or Madison? Or Olivia?"

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders.

"What do you think of _Autumn_?" Rosalie suggested.

I smiled. That's a sweet name.

Lizzie seemed to think so too as she felt her lips quiver lightly.

"Autumn is a beautiful name. Thank you, Rose." Lizzie smiled.

The silent Nahuel shot up from his seat on the couch and walked out of the room.

"And if it's a boy?" Alice questioned.

Lizzie smiled. "Well. This name has special meaning to me. I have a younger brother who's been suffering from autism disease for the past eight years. Anyway, he means so much to me. I love him more than anything in this world and knowing that there is a possibility I might never see him again really pains me. So, if I ever perish, I would want this child to know that there is a piece of me out there. I want this baby to know that he does have family out there, and that he's not alone in this world."

I managed to smile at Lizzie's acknowledgment for the child for the first time ever at this very moment. She loved the child and because of that, she'll do anything for it and that's something to commemorate.

"Carter will be the first name and James will be the second. I just thought I'd add a little bit of my late mother as well. James was her maiden name before she got married to my dad." Lizzie smiled at us.

"Carter James. That's perfect, I don't know about you guys." Bella mentioned.

We all agreed.

We were drawing nearer to the end of this lengthy journey with Lizzie's pregnancy. I only had seven months to realize what an amazing person she was and I couldn't understand why should could possibly be taken away from this world so soon.

But I had to have hope. I had to have hope that she'll overcome this obstacle.

_**However, no one could prepare me for what was coming my way next.**_

... …

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Yay! So this was an insightful chapter. This is basically the climax of this story; this is where the real drama begins so hold on tight!**

**(Not related: So, yesterday my fiancé and I found out the sex of our baby –because we couldn't help ourselves/we can – and dun-da-ra-ra! It's a boy! Woohoo!)**

**So, I'm assuming some of you guys have questions about what's going to happen next. So I suggest you stick around and read the upcoming riveting chapters of 'Dusk Horizon'! **

**Stay cool, my peeps!**

**#DontForgetToReviewAndF&amp;F**


	35. Chapter 35: Alchemy

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"The whole blood bank thing seems to be working for Lizzie and the baby." I said to Jake as he and I lay on my bed, arms wrapped around each other, bodies close and eyes locked.

He smiled as he gazed into my eyes. He lifted his hand and moved a strand of hair behind my ear and readjusted my woven hat.

"Yeah," He sighed, trailing his thumb down my cheek and stroking it lightly. I smiled as he I held his warm hand. "You look tired."

I shook my head. "I'm more relieved than tired. The worst part is almost over."

"Everything will be fine."

I nodded my head, moving my eyes from him to stare down at his bulged chest through his plain grey shirt. I noticed the lining of his chest.

"It's just that, everyone at school's asking about her and I don't know what to say about it. I can't say anything about it." I told him.

"And you don't have to. It's not your place." He said.

I gnawed my bottom lip. "I just don't understand how he can live with this? How can he live with the fact that he left a mere human brokenhearted and leaving her risking her own life just for his spawn? I mean, isn't that messed up? That he just walked out on her, just like that."

Jake nodded his head. "There are messed up people out there, Ness."

I shook my head. "It's not right." I told him as I moved closer to him, feeling his warmth engulf my entire being. I trailed my hands up his arms and made them land on his chiseled face. I smiled as I felt the hairs on his jaw and chin.

"You do know you're growing a beard, right?" I questioned with an amused grin.

"Yeah," He snorted.

"I didn't even know you could even do that."

"Hey, I'm not a vampire. My body isn't completely frozen." He told me. I giggled. "I'll shave tomorrow."

I shook my head. "No. No. Keep it. It looks really good on you. It makes you mature, mucho and sexy. Really handsome." I smiled as I pinched his nose gently. He leaned in to rub his nose against mine like some little puppy. I giggled and blushed.

He pulled away to grin at me, showcasing his entrenched dimples.

We suddenly heard a car pull up the driveway and the sound of two hoots soon after. Jake sighed.

"Do you really have to go?" I asked him as I tugged on his shirt. He nodded his head.

"I've got work tomorrow," He told me.

"And I have school. Story of our lives, huh?" I questioned.

He smiled as he leaned in to kiss me but I immediately pulled away when I noticed my mother standing by the door and staring at us, grinning from ear-to-ear.

I cleared my throat.

"Hi, mom," I mentioned awkwardly, watching Jake shift away from me slightly and exhaling a heavy sigh.

"Seth's here to pick you up, Jake." Bella told him.

"Yeah, I know," Jake replied casually, not moving his eyes away from me. He leaned in to peck me on the cheek before pulling away. I smiled at him as I watched him get up from the bed.

As I lifted my body up from the bed, I suddenly felt Sir McFurball hopping onto the bed and falling into my lap. I smiled as I ran my hand over his furry frame.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Jake said to me. I nodded my head.

"Yeah," I replied. "I love you." I added

"You too," He replied before turning to my mother. "Mood kill." He mentioned.

"Yeah, yeah…" She rolled her eyes as she slapped the back of his head. I laughed at the scene, looking down at the cat.

My mother made her way over to me and sat on the edge of the bed. I lifted my head to look at her. She stretched her hand to stroke the cat's head gently and it purred back.

"You two look happy," Mom commented as she looked at me.

I nodded. "I don't know. Jake and I…it just makes sense to me you know? It's weird, I know. That I'm with someone who practically watched me grow up, and I thought it was weird too but, I feel like this was how it should've been. I feel like we were always meant to be you know?"

As a young teenage vampire –well a young child basically – I never had anyone to talk to about my feelings. I never had that best friend to talk to. Sure, I had Jake but I never really had a female version to interact with so my mom was always there to fill in that role. She's my mother first and my best friend second.

"Believe me, I understand." She laughed. "The first time I um…noticed that you two would soon develop feelings for each other, I couldn't see it but now I do. You two are made for each other. You have so much in common that it's scary."

I laughed. "Yeah, well. I don't think we can hold a candle on you and dad."

She smiled. I'd think if she wasn't a vampire, she'd be blushing.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked me. I frowned, nodding my head as I sat properly. "This is not certain and it's just a thought but…Lizzie's going through this pregnancy the same way I did, maybe slightly more intense. So, Carlisle's doing everything in his power to make this go smooth sailing but there's always that outcome that she might not survive this ordeal. But if she does, that will be fantastic because she'll be able to mother a wonderful child."

I didn't know where she was going with this but I had a slight feeling that it was going to be crazy.

"However, if she doesn't survive the ordeal then where would that leave the baby if he or she does make it?" She questioned. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, how would you feel about having a youngster running around the Cullen house?"

My eyes widened. Wow! I never really thought of that. I didn't think about the possibility of having a new member to the Cullen family if Lizzie didn't make it. Well, I assumed that Lizzie would want us to take care of it but it never crossed my mind that I could have someone like me around.

"I think that'd be great." I said to her.

"And how would you feel about having the baby as a _sibling_?" Bella asked me.

My heart jumped.

_A sibling…_

I had always wondered how it'll be like to have a brother or sister. I knew that a possibility of having one was not inevitable. Vampires can't reproduce, it's a fact but there was always that thought at the back of my head of what could've been…

I've always wondered how it would be like to have a sister, specifically. I've watched sister relationships on TV and dreamt of that kind of bond, so now that my mother brought it up, just brought back all those memories.

"Um…I think that would also be great! In fact, I think it will be incredible!" I said to her, feeling a weird kind of joy in my tone.

"Oh," Mom smiled slightly. "Your father and I remember you expressing your thoughts about them years ago. We didn't think you still feel the same way."

"Of course I'd like a sibling. Did you talk to Lizzie about it? Did she ask you to?" I asked her.

"Um, not in so many words. It was just mentioned in passing. She told me that she thought I'd be a great mom to her child if she didn't live past to watch him or her grow up since she sees how close you and I are." My mother smiled at me.

I grinned, placing my hand on her cheek and projecting all my thoughts to her. I was displaying all my dreams of seeing myself babysitting a young sister, taking her to the amusement park, getting annoyed that she's wearing my clothes, applying some makeup on her if ever she asked me to.

My mother grinned. "Well, it's not definite but just hold on to that hope, okay?"

I laughed.

But then I felt my grin fall when I remembered how much my Aunt Rosalie wanted a child of her own. I see it all the time in her eyes. I see all the hurt in her eyes when she sees me with Bella. Despite being her godchild and that she and I are super close, she wanted someone she can actually call her own.

So I begged the question…

"What about Aunt Rosalie?"

My mom fell silent as the realization also hit her hard.

"Yeah…"

… …

The next day, I went to school and watched as the day blew by fast and I was now in the parking lot, making my way to my car when I was suddenly stopped by my friends.

"Hey, girlfriend," Alex grinned at me as she held her handbag tightly whilst Felicity and Rea stood closely beside her.

I grinned.

"What are you planning on doing today?" Rea asked me.

"Well, um…studying for one –" I began but Alex cut me off.

"That's boring. We're all going to do something right now. Felicity?" Alex pointed out, turning to Felicity for suggestions.

"Well, I thought you'd never ask!" She grinned widely. "You girls all know that Prom is only a little over a month away so…you know what that means?"

"No." Alex shook her head.

I laughed.

"Dress hunting!" Felicity burst out with a loud squeal.

"Oh god," Alex said, shaking her head as she held her face in her hand.

"Come on!" Felicity shouted as she grabbed Alex's hand and began jogging –in her heels I might add – over to her car.

I laughed whilst Rea rolled her eyes at the pair.

"I guess I'll tag along with you, huh?" Rea questioned.

I smiled and nodded my head.

"Yeah, let me just grab my keys." I told her. She spun around as I rummaged through my bag for my keys.

The minute I pulled my keys out, I noticed my completely exposed arms had been glowing. My eyes widened as I looked up into the sky to see the sun shining bright on me.

Oh god! I was glowing!

Ever since I was born, the sun had this effect on me. I wasn't like a vampire where my skin would sparkle when exposed to sunlight but instead, my skin glowed, like an illuminated neon light. If a human wasn't too close, they wouldn't notice.

Which is why I understood the weird look Rea gave me at this very moment. I immediately shuffled my bag so it was now on my shoulder. I plastered a small smile.

"Ready?" I posed, pretending as if nothing happened.

She nodded her head. I walked over to my car and hopped into the drivers' seat, releasing as heavy sigh before she hopped in as well.

I watched as Felicity pulled out of the parking lot and I followed behind her.

Our first pitstop was Macy's, near Bakersfield, where the girls and I searched for a bunch of Prom dresses on sale but only to find that all the nice ones were sold out so we drove down to this boutique close to it, _Glendale's Fashion Factory. _

"Shout if you girls find anything interesting." Felicity said to us. I laughed. She reminded me so much of Alice.

"Lecity, what is the point of shopping for Prom dresses when it's only a month and a half away?" Alex questioned as _Jason Mraz's I'm Yours_ played in the background.

"Um…Alex, you did see the dress drought we saw back at Macy's right?" Felicity pointed out. "There's no time for last minute decisions. We need to shop for dresses like today!"

"Yeah, with your credit card, of course. Dresses don't come cheap." Alex replied.

"Of course!" Felicity grinned as she focused her gaze on dresses, shoving each rack to the side as she searched for the right one.

"I was kidding, you do know that right?" Alex asked. "I don't want you wasting your money on us."

"Yeah, you don't have to do that, Felicity." I told her.

"Well, I want to." Felicity stated. "And besides, my dad gave me a credit card for emergencies and this is an emergency. A fashion emergency! A fashmergency!"

I glanced at Alex who just shrugged her shoulders. I rolled my eyes.

"If you say so," I said to Felicity as I found myself roaming my eyes around the store.

I wasn't one for dresses, I guess I was like my mom in that way but I did like the way they looked.

Alex's phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out, frowning and rolling her eyes. I frowned.

"Ooh! I'm trying this one!" Felicity squealed as she pulled out a silver strapless dress.

"So, I was thinking, if you and I don't have dates towards the prom night. Maybe we should go together. What do you think?" I asked Alex. "I'm not hitting on you or anything. I just think it'll be fun."

"Yeah, sure…it'll be fun." Alex replied lightheartedly as she nervously ran her hands over the rack of dresses. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"Ugh, I have a lot on my mind." She replied. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded her head. I knew she was lying; however, I didn't want to push my luck until she's willing to tell me.

"You guys find anything yet?" Felicity asked us as she carried a stack of dresses in her arm.

I shook my head. "We're still looking around."

She nodded her head. "I'm going to try these on and you guys have to tell me how I look in them." Felicity stated as she ran off into one of the dressing rooms.

"So, Jake…" Alex pointed out.

My breathing hitched. She knew about Jake and I? What was she going to say? Was she going to hate me for breaking up with her brother because I was in love with someone else? Is that what she's going to think? Will I lose my best friend because of this?

"W-what about Jake?" I asked, trying to keep my cool.

"Well, a couple of days ago he caught Seth and me…um…" She mentioned awkwardly. Alex was never one to be awkward so it was weird to see this side of her.

"What?" I asked as I moved closer to her.

She looked up at to meet my eyes. "Seth and I had sex." She whispered.

My eyes bulged. "You did what?" I retorted and she immediately shushed me.

My mind is absolutely blown!

"Is that what you wouldn't tell me yesterday?" I asked.

"It's not that I wouldn't. I didn't know how. I don't want you to think I'm some sort of slut for going for your uncle." Alex said. I frowned. "He kept me in the loop about your relationship."

I laughed. "No. I wouldn't think that. I actually am really happy to see you two together. You're my ship!" I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "I can't explain it. He just has this effect on me that I can't explain. Like when I'm down in the dumps that day, whenever I think about him, whenever I see him all those nasty feelings just fade away. The way I feel about him is a way I never felt about anyone before. Why is it physically painful to be away from him? I mean, like right now I miss him like crazy. It's so litigious!"

"I don't think you're using that word right."

"Whatever, you know what I mean!" Alex retorted.

And actually, I did. I knew exactly how she felt because I was feeling the exact same thing with Jake. I don't how we have similar experiences because Seth imprinted on Alex and Jake is just…

What?

"What do you think?" Felicity called.

Alex and I turned around to see her coming out of the dressing room in a silky, single-strapped ground length, pale blue dress with a bunch of crystals dangling in the torso area and the back as she turned around. My eyes widened.

Rea's bubblegum popped as she moved her eyes from her phone.

"Whoa!" Alex hummed.

"It's a dress I actually like!" Rea chuckled.

"You look amazing, Felicity!" I mused.

"You guys think so?" Felicity asked. We all nodded our heads, whispering words. "Thank you so much! I guess this is option number one."

I chuckled.

"Oh hail, Prom Queen Felicity Stone." Alex said.

She blushed. "Yeah, but not with my ideal King,"

I sighed. She was going back to thinking about Hunter and that's not okay.

"Okay that we won't let you do." I said to her. "Don't go there. Don't go to the Hunter place, okay? You left that all behind you and it's time to look forward."

"I know. I know." Felicity nodded her head. "Now on to the next dress!"

I laughed and shook my head.

… …

**BELLA'S POV**

The house has been on edge for the past couple of weeks. With not only Lizzie's pregnancy being the number one priority but the realization that there is someone out there causing all these deaths and that we might have a possible threat in our hands.

To make matters worse, I have my daughter go through teenagehood so fast that it's actually scary. She's an adult now and it's even harder to view here as that little girl that I didn't want to let go of in her vulnerable state. Edward and I prepared for this though; however, we didn't actually realize it'll be this soon.

We thought that whenever Nessie and Jake get together, we would know that that is when our daughter was taken away from us. Even though, it's not entirely true, some parts of my worries have come true. Nessie and Jake are so emotionally fixated on each other right now and that scares me. They've only been together for a little over a week and 'I love you's' are already uttered out in passing!

That's how an imprint goes, I get that but…she's my daughter and he's my best friend! Ugh!

Nonetheless, I'm happy for them. That's all I've ever wanted for them, is for them to be happy.

Edward seems to be slowly –and halfheartedly – conceding this relationship. He knows how much Jake loves Nessie and that he would not permit even a fly to touch her.

But I've learned to be fixing my focus on Lizzie right now. I'm trying to do everything I can to make this situation less daunting to her because the young girl is terrified, she had no idea of the outcome. She reminded me so much of myself when I was pregnant with Nessie. Even with carrying so much hope that I would survive, I still had that fear at the back of my head.

It's a good thing this blood bank thing Carlisle came out with really takes off some of the stress. She's visibly getting some strength again. It's not like she's fully back to her state, she's still in immense pain however it subsided –as expected.

I was currently pulling a blood bag from the fridge when I heard Lizzie's raspy voice in the upstairs living room.

"Dad, I understand but…" She trailed off. I slowly began ascending up the stairs. "I know I told you I'd come over for spring break but work is holding me back. It'll be a stretch to come over there." She told her father as she spoke over the landline.

"_Lizzie, you know I can't take care of Carter by myself. I thought I could do this before you left but I really don't think I can do this without you."_ He said. _"So you're going to come over, okay?!"_ He shouted.

"No! You listen to me dad!" She shouted back, only this time it was weak. "You can do this! You know how I know? That's your kid! No matter what, you have to make him your first priority. You may hate who he is, what he has, you may think he's an abomination or whatever but it won't change the fact that he's your son!" She mentioned firmly. "Mom isn't around, I'm not around and I don't want you to slip into your old ways because you have this irrational fear that you'll be a terrible parent. You haven't been much of a parent in the past, sure but you're still there! And if you fall into old habits, you'll be gone as well and I don't want him left alone in this world. You're all his got!"

"_But –"_

"No buts, dad! I had to take of both you when you went through your drunkard, drug ways. You went to rehab, and you've turned your life around because of us and you've came so far since then so don't let this be the door for you to relapse again, you understand? You're going to shape up and take care of that boy because I love him too much for him not have anybody!" She cried out. "Do I make myself clear?"

There was a long pause before her father released a shaky breath.

"_Yes."_ He replied.

Lizzie nodded her head. I could smell and see the tears silently falling down her cheek as she stared out the window as she held the landline tightly whilst clutching her protruded stomach.

"Okay, give the phone to him please." Lizzie urged.

The line went silent for a minute before I heard a hand grabbing hold of the phone.

"Lizzie!" A gentle, childlike voice reached my ears.

"Hey, Shrimp!" Lizzie suddenly began sobbing as she heard her younger brother's voice. I smiled slightly.

"Lizzie! Lizzie! Lizzie!" The boy kept chanting through the landline and I could hear little hands being slammed together repeatedly.

"How are you, Car?" Lizzie asked, spluttering at each word. She grabbed a tissue and blew into it. "I miss you!"

"Carter misses you too! Carter misses you too!" The energetic child repeated.

"Listen here, shrimp. Lizzie's not going to be coming home for spring break and possibly even the summer but I want you to do something for me while I'm gone, okay? I want you to take care of dad. I want you to help him out in any way you can. And I also want you to play _Pin the Tail on Dad_ on him. See how fast he eats you!"

"I heard that!" Her father replied in the background. I laughed.

"When will you be back?" The young boy asked his sister. "One, two, three, four, When will you be back Lizzie? Five, six, seven, eight…"

I stared down at the ground.

"Um…I don't know when I'll be back, shrimp but I'll be thinking of you while I'm gone." She told him.

"I love you, Lizzie!"

"I love you too, Carter. So much!" Lizzie cried out. "Bye, kid,"

"Bye, Lizzie!"

If my heart still functioned, it would've probably sunk from what just happened. It pained me to know that her family had no idea that this could very well be their final goodbyes with her.

This took me back to my conversation with my dad before I had Nessie. I may have known I'd survive the ordeal of pregnancy but I knew I'd have to say goodbye to my either way since I was essentially going to be turned into vampire.

"I love you, dad." Lizzie finally said before she hung up the phone and placed it on the coffee table.

I entered the room after a short while and placed the blood bag on the table. She looked up to see me and smiled.

"Hi," She said to me. I smiled as I bent down to replace the old bag connected to her IV with the new one. "I'm pretty sure you heard all of that."

"Yeah, I did." I said to her.

She sighed. "That was the hardest goodbye ever."

"Let's not think negatively, Lizzie." I told her.

"But it's true. It is a goodbye and you know it." Lizzie said, blowing her nose yet again.

"Did I tell you I had to say goodbye to my dad as well? Something similar to what just happened,"

"But you knew you'd be turned into a vampire after the birth." She told me.

"Don't you want that?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "If I'm not able to survive the birth then I guess it was for the best. I don't think turning me into a vampire gets rid of the fact that I broke my promise to God. At least I'd know that the baby is with a good family."

I just nodded my head. I knew I couldn't argue with her decision because that would be hypocritical because people had to respect mine.

"The child will even have greater parental figures." She said, nudging me lightly. I smiled slightly, staring down at the empty blood bag.

"Although, I am completely honored that you'd want Edward and I to take care of your child but maybe you should think about someone who would probably be an exceptional parental figure, maybe even better." I told her.

"Who, Rosalie?" She asked. I nodded my head. "I thought of her. You two have helped me so much through all of this and I viewed you both as amazing people and perfect choices but I just thought that since you had Nessie, and went through the same thing that maybe you wouldn't mind taking care of another child."

"Don't get me wrong, of course I'd love to take care of this child but I guess being an aunt wouldn't be so bad." I laughed. "I've already had my fair share of experience of motherhood but Rose had always envisioned being a mother for more than a century and I know she'll be ecstatic if she had a chance to be one."

Lizzie smiled and nodded her head.

"I guess I'll talk to her later." Lizzie replied, running her hand over her bulged stomach. "Hear that kid? You're going to have more than one mommy!" She laughed.

I chuckled.

Then I realized something!

"Did you know Edward is a baby-whisperer?" I told her.

"Baby-whisperer?" Lizzie laughed, frowning in confusion.

"Yep, he could read Nessie's thoughts when she was in my womb." I told her.

"Wow!" Lizzie mused. "Can he read this baby's thoughts?"

"I'm not sure. Let's see." I began. "Edward?" I called lowly.

Edward came into view a couple of seconds later with a small smile on his face. I got up and placed my arm around his waist.

"Bella tells me you could read Nessie's thoughts when she was barely born?" Lizzie asked.

Edward nodded his head. "They're so incredible. It was amazing to see how intelligent a mere infant can be."

Lizzie smiled sheepishly, turning to me.

"Lizzie was wondering if you could unleash your baby whispering abilities on her." I pointed out. He chuckled.

"I wouldn't call them abilities but I'll try." He said, kissing the side of my face briefly before bending down to Lizzie's length and placing his hands on the bump.

Edward closed his eyes for a while, trying to read the child's thoughts. Lizzie had a nervous yet excited look on her face.

"The baby's…" He paused as he pursed his lips together. "Scared," He told her.

Lizzie's grin fell.

"The baby's scared but when it feels how happy you are it feels safe. It's the same exact feeling Nessie had. It longs to be with you, Lizzie." He told her.

Lizzie's grimace immediately vanished and was replaced by a genuinely, thrilled grin.

"That's crazy!" She chuckled, moving down to plant a kiss on her stomach.

I grinned as I watched my husband shoot up from the ground and draped his arm around my waist.

… …

**ROSALIE'S POV**

After helping out with Lizzie's bath and combing her hear, throwing a nightdress on her, I placed her on the bed and walked out of the room.

"What are you watching?" I asked my husband as I sauntered into the theater room.

"Some 1960 baseball games. They're all hilarity!" He mentioned. I smiled as I hopped onto his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck, staring into his gilt eyes. "What do you want now?" He asked as he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet.

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing, okay! I just really want to be with my husband. I haven't had any alone time with you."

"That's all you babe. I told you before; I'm down for anything whenever you're ready."

"I know. I know. I'm sorry." I said to him. "It's just that, this whole Lizzie thing has been taking up so much of my time. I'm happy to help but I miss you. Hopefully after all this is over, we can ask Esme to get us a hotel room. What do you think?"

"I'm cool with that but don't you think we'll demolish every facet of that room? Or maybe even the entire building." He said.

I sighed. "I doubt that but if that ever happens, we can just buy the hotel and we can demolish it further."

"Mmm…I like the way you think Ms. Hale," He said, wiggling his eyebrows as he leaned into kiss my bare collarbone, moving his lips down my chest. I giggled as I ran my hand through his hair.

"Let's not try to break the theater, please? People still use this room." I told my husband. He groaned as he pulled away.

"You're probably right. Esme worked so hard on this room! I'm still salty she hasn't given me a man-cave yet!" He mentioned, raising his voice so Esme could hear from the other room.

"You and the boys don't have a man-cave. It's not just you, honey." I mentioned to my sexy husband as I ran my hands up and down his rock-hard body.

"Rosalie," I heard Lizzie's voice pull me away from the moment with Emmett. I immediately shot up from his lap.

"I'll be right back." I told him, now at the door.

"No you won't." He confirmed with a sigh.

I turned around, flashing a sympathetic look. I've been neglecting him, I know that but he needed to understand that this is what I want to do and I knew understood.

I needed to make it up to him.

I passed by the living room, where everyone was congregated, Nessie giggling with that mutt, Edward and Bella watching them intently and Seth fixing his eyes on the TV screen. I assumed Alice and Jasper were hunting tonight with Nahuel who decided to tag along because I'm pretty sure he didn't want to Nessie be with someone that's not him.

I felt pity for him. I actually think him and Nessie made much more sense however, I don't want to be the bad guy so I won't say anything.

I ran to the medical-break room where Lizzie had been placed just in preparation for whenever she decides to deliver.

I smiled. "Hey, is everything okay?" I asked, noticing Carlisle sitting beside her bed.

Carlisle gestured for me to shut the door behind me and I did just that, frowning in confusion.

They both had faces of uncertainty, Carlisle more so than Lizzie.

"What's going on?"

Lizzie inhaled a deep breath before uttering the words that would probably break me if it were me in her shoes.

"I think I'm ready." She told me.

My eyes bulged. "Are you serious?"

"There's nothing else we can do at this point." Lizzie said with a weak shrug as she coughed.

I glared at Carlisle.

"Carlisle?"

He sighed. "I'm not quite confident about it either but I think it stands better chance."

"We're going to induce her labor?" I demanded. He nodded his head. "Okay, when?"

"Tonight," Lizzie confirmed.

My eyes bulged even wider, feeling my legs weaken even though I'm pretty sure it's all in my head.

"B-but…"

"I feel like I'm ready. After talking to my family, I can finally come to terms with it." He told me. "And it's not up for discussion. I called you in because I knew you'd support me on this. You are the one person who understands me more than anyone. And if I don't make it…" She paused. "I'd see you as the perfect person to mother this child."

I could feel the venom rise up in my throat and I wasn't bloodthirsty, I was speechless. Did she just give me the rite of passage to be a parent to her child? Bella's pregnancy, I always thought she wouldn't make it and I'd have the opportunity to be a mother, and now that I view Bella as my closet sister now, I realized I was ridiculous to steal that from her and when Lizzie came along, you'd think I would I'd go back to how I felt but in reality, I just wanted to help the girl. I felt for her and I would stop at nothing to protect her and her baby.

However, she's here, giving me the opportunity to be a mother and I couldn't believe it.

I grinned, feeling the venom in my eye and I shook it off.

"I'd be honored." I told her finally. "Thank you so much!"

She nodded her head, grinning at me. "Thank you." She said before turning to Carlisle, she nodded her head and my adoptive father grabbed a syringe filled with fluids and hormones and plunged it into her IV, causing her to close her eyes as she felt the sensation of the liquid running through her veins.

When Carlisle was done, he placed the syringe in a bowl and slipped his medical gloves off. He stood up to check Lizzie's monitor, jotting something down on his clipboard before going back to Lizzie.

"We'll just wait a while. Shout if you feel anything but we'll be by your side at all times." He said. She nodded her head and Carlisle made his way over to me.

"Everyone hunted, I'm correct?" He asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so." I told him. "Is she really prepared?"

Carlisle sighed as he escorted me out of the room.

"I'm not sure but she seems determined. I'm assuming she's exhausted with the whole pregnancy so she's succumbing to her pain." He said.

"Is there any possibility that she could survive this?"

He shrugged. "I can't say." He stated. I sighed. "Listen, Rosalie, she's expressed her need for you to deliver the fetus."

"Baby," I replied. "Why? I haven't delivered one before I mean the last time I did it didn't end so well."

"You're in control now, are you not?" He asked me. I sighed but nodding my head.

"Okay, so just be ready. I've given her some painkillers and I gave an epidural just to ease the pain when the contractions hit." He told me.

"Will that even work? It didn't work with Bella." I told him.

"All we had was some morphine and that didn't work at all so I guess we'll see what happens when –" He said.

We suddenly heard a piercingly, high-pitched scream from the room before we heard a bunch of things falling and shattering. Carlisle and I ran into the room to be met with Lizzie, shaking uncontrollably and viciously.

"What happened?" The entire family immediately waltzed into the room whilst Carlisle went to Lizzie's side, trying to stop her from shaking. Edward and Emmett were soon there to help him out.

"What's happening to her?" Renesmee cried as she clutched onto the dog's arm.

"Her blood pressure is high. Her hearts thudding uncontrollably. She's going into cardiac arrest." Carlisle mentioned in panic, it was a side I had never seen on him before.

Precipitously, the heart monitor beeped piercingly loud, repetitively. All heads darted toward it.

"She's crashing!" Edward confirmed.

"I think I might've put a tad bit more doses than I should of the epidural." Carlisle mentioned angrily yet he seemed so calm.

"Get Nessie out of here!" I growled at Jacob.

"No! I'm not leaving! No!" She tried to protest but it wasn't worth it because she was already being pulled out of the room by her boyfriend and Seth.

"We need to deliver the baby." Edward stated, restraining Lizzie's body from shaking although it proved to be a hassle when bones began cracking.

"How are we going to do that without killing Lizzie?" Bella demanded as we went to Lizzie's side.

"Lizzie would want us to save the baby first. We learned that from you, Bella." I said to her.

"Carlisle, you have to do something now!"

"No." I stated firmly. "Lizzie wanted me to deliver the baby so I will." I concluded before releasing a sigh. I bent down and grabbed a scalpel and made an incision into her bared stomach. I held my breath and pressed my lips together as I felt the blood dripping onto my fingers.

As I reached the end of the incision, blood suddenly splattered everywhere in sight and more breaking of bones occurred, more ripping, I could feel her excruciating pain. I spit the blood off my lips and dropped the scalpel blade.

I expected something to happen, I expected more ripping and more splitting but nothing. There was just more blood and more blood. I dipped my hand into the exposed womb, feeling the sensation of the crimson liquid on my hand but the sensation was replace by feeling a soft, round, marble ball with streaks of hair sticking out.

"I feel the baby!" I said as I dug in my other hand to the side and felt marble toes. I decided to go with every fiber in my being and pulled the whole marble body out swiftly.

Suddenly all the shaking, all the drowning subsided and the monitor just went neutral yet I could hear gushes of blood being poured out. I looked to see Edward shoving in a bunch of cloths into her lifeless body, stopping the blood from overflowing I assume.

All this time I didn't realize I was holding the one thing I had been yearning for my entire life. I stared down to see the bundle smothered in blood and placenta, my hands unrecognizable because of the blood. Its fair skin burned my skin like a furnace; it was nothing I had ever felt before.

"…Rose!" I heard my husband's voice pull me away from my trance. I shot my head up, grabbing a pair of scissors and cut the umbilical cord that suddenly disconnected the infant from its mother.

"Carter James…" I hummed as I stared at his beautiful face, his head covered in sunlit coffee hair and his cheeks so rosy and fiery. However, the thing I wanted to see the most wasn't available to me.

His eyes…

"He's not breathing!" I cried out, immediately running over to the mini operating table. I grabbed the pump and hurriedly placed it over the child's head, immediately pumping up as much air as I can.

"I've got it." A ring-y voice pulled me apart. I spun around to see Bella's face flashing a weak smile.

After a while, I reluctantly nodded my head and stepped aside, as she took my place. I released an unnecessary sigh as I went over to the others, watching them scramble around.

"We need to stop the blood!" Carlisle mentioned restlessly, glancing back and forth at the heart monitor screen. She was barely even breathing. "She's dying!"

As these words kept reiterating in my head, I tilted my head over to Bella, still performing CPR on the child with no heartbeat. I darted over to Lizzie's body; her heartbeat was so faint I'm surprised she had one.

This is not how it should be. I-We-I thought this could all come out right or at least, not this sad. I thought that maybe the child would survive or a little more farfetched, maybe even Lizzie however, knowing that they both are essentially perished makes me wonder what even the point of all the fighting was?

I shook my head and cussed, running over to Lizzie, shoving my husband and brother to the side.

"Move," I snarled as I grabbed Lizzie's arm in mine. I darted my head to Bella. "Do you get a heartbeat?"

She hadn't replied.

Please be alive! Please be alive! Please be alive! Please be alive!

After for what felt like forever, repeating all these words in my head, I heard the first, tiny thud of a heartbeat.

"I got him!" Bella cried eyed, overjoyed as I suddenly felt a croak and coughing before I heard I faint cry.

I sighed exasperating as I stared down at Lizzie.

"Please work," I whispered.

"Rosalie, don't!" Edward tried protest but my teeth already sank into the young woman's arm and I felt my venom coursing up my throat and flowing into her system. I dropped her arm to repeat the same action on her neck and her other arm and her leg before I felt some tugging me away.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emmett shouted, eyes bulged and panicked. I had never seen this look on him before. If I wasn't so determined, I would be terrified.

"Making this right!" I shouted back, glancing at Lizzie's comatose state.

I might've just ruined any chances of ever being a mother to someone but I didn't care. I knew I would never be the mother either way and I could only imagine how that child, how Carter James, a beautiful gift to this world would feel with knowing that he never got to meet his biological mother, someone who loved him so much she'd give up her own life.

This is how I make things right…

… …

**A/N: OMG! POOF! MIND BLOWN!**

**How was that hmm? Rosalie could have just derailed any chances of being a mom for a selfless act! I mean if that isn't amazing then idk what is!**

**Review all your thoughts please and I will surely update immediately!**


	36. Chapter 36: Heartbeat

**Third Person**

It was midnight. The time where all householders locked themselves in their homes, presumably in the covers or watching Late Night Comedy shows. It was the time where the whole town was quiet and inactive.

But not quite can be said about 20 year old, Tatum, was working well into the night at the local store. High school dropout, his dad left him when he was three, his mother died when was 17, he got into some trouble, got into drugs, he was homeless for a year. He's basically a poster child of disaster and he knows it.

Getting this job was probably a miracle to him after trying to reshape his life. Trying – because even if he won't admit it to himself – he relapses all the time but he always makes sure nobody around him sees that, especially his boss.

"I'm heading out. I trust that you'll be able to close up shop?" His boss told him a couple hours ago.

"Yeah, sure," Tatum replied.

Two hours later, he begins sweeping out the store and also known as his home. I mentioned he was homeless before but never mentioned whether or not it worked out in the end. In his mind it did. He sleeps in his boss' office every night –relishing in the feeling of sleeping in his couch – and wakes up at dawn before he could get caught. Tatum's boss always commended him for being punctual all the time but if only he knew…

His life was terrible, it had no meaning and oddly enough he was content in that because that meant his lifespan would be shortened as opposed to others who have their lives figured out. Yes. He wanted to die.

He's just wondering when it was time to.

As he grabbed a bar of Reeses and chomped on it as he continued sweeping away, blasting some music on his headsets. As he covered the third aisle, the lights flickered. He frowned as he looked up at the fluorescent lights, watching them shift back to normal before going back to his job.

Drop.

A type of liquid dropped onto the ground and the realization of what that liquid was caused him to stop in his tracks. He bent down to feel the crimson substance and took a sniff of the metallic liquid.

Suddenly, he felt warm liquid hit his face and trickle down to his shirt. He frowned as he went to touch his face only to be met by blood on his hands. He bulged his eyes and looked up at the ceiling to see the horrific of a mutilated body, drenched in bandanas of blood.

He shrieked as he tumbled off the bucket full, causing him to fall and that was when darkness crept in. Still in shock, Tatum bumbled up and charged for the doors, but only to find them sealed shut.

He groaned as he ran over to the cash register desk, scrambling for the spare key but only to find nothing. He cussed as he ran to the backdoor –given the fact that it was dark – and tried breaking the door open with his body.

He heard a gush of wind sweep past him and an ominous, eerie hum linger in the air. He could feel something coming towards him. Something fast. Something strong.

And there was no way out…

"Help!" He screamed, resorting to something pointless as he banged his fist against the door that wouldn't budge open.

"_No one's going to help you."_ He heard a sinister voice whisper in a monotone.

"What?" He asked rhetorically, squinting his eyes towards the figure making its way to him.

He was met with bloodshot eyes and a threatening grin, before everything just went bleak.

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

Seth rushed out of the house first as Jake threw me over his shoulder, with me protesting even though I'm pretty sure I needed it because I didn't think I would be able to stand whatever's going on in the medical room.

The minute Jacob got me out of the house and onto the porch; he placed me on the ground and held me by the arms, restraining me from scuttling back into the house.

"Seth, go!" He stated before Seth jogged off to god knows where. I didn't care about anything this point. My mind was too preoccupied with all the mess to even care about anything.

"Calm down, shh! Shh!" He whispered to me, soothing me gently by rubbing his hands up and down my arms.

"How am I supposed to calm down when my friend's dying? I –" I sniveled, shaking my head dramatically.

"Hey, hey, it's okay baby!" He mentioned, placing his hands on my face, wiping my tears away. It was as if his words instantaneously took away every frightened fiber in my being and my tears just stopped.

He planted his lips on my forehead. "Okay, let's get you out of here." He said as he wrapped his hand around mine and descended the porch steps with me by his side.

"Where are we going?" I asked him as I halted on the last step, breaking our interlocked fingers as he stood on the grass.

He turned around to face me, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it to the side so he was now showcasing his massive, incredible physique.

"What are you doing?" I questioned nonchalantly.

He didn't reply. He gestured for me to look away as he just continued discarding his garments, from his pants to his shoes and that's when I realized what he was doing. I spun around, closing my eyes shut and covering my mouth with strands of my hair, feeling utterly sheepish.

In a matter of seconds, I heard a low growl from behind me. I reluctantly turned around to see the familiar large brown wolf staring at me.

Jake moved close to me and nuzzled his wet nose against my hand. I snorted.

"This is no time for playtime," I told him.

He whimpered and snuck glance into the woods. I followed his gaze, my eyes transfixed on the line of Oak trees. I stared back at Jacob with my eyebrows raised. He stuck his tongue out, forming a wolf smile. I rolled my eyes as I went to hop onto his back but cheekily maneuvered myself off him and began charging for the woods.

I assumed he knew what I was doing and I heard the rough patter of wolf paws sprinting behind me. I spun around to see Jacob on my tail. I shook my head as I picked up my pace. I began running to the side and hopping off every rock in sight. I glanced to the side to see Jacob's giant wolf form fully focused on his jog; however, I could sense the wooziness creeping on him.

I gnawed my bottom lip as I grabbed onto one of the branches and swung my body around, flying to the next branch I came across with and the next and the next until I found myself reaching the clearing. I turned around to see if Jacob was behind me. I laughed when I realized I left him behind.

This was what Jake and I did all the time, from when I was just a young hybrid. We'd race into the forests of Forks and he'd always come out on top. It annoyed me to the point that whenever we even brought up the race, I'd immediately feel defeated.

Now that I actually beat his werewolf butt, certainly made me bask all the goodness of bruising his ego –which I loved by the way.

However, the feeling didn't last for long because I found myself drifting off to Lizzie. Wondering what could be happening to here by now. Is she dead? Did the child kill her? Is this what Charles wanted? Did he want her to die in the hands of his own spawn? Why wasn't I more supportive? Did I even get a chance to say goodbye?

I could hear Jake scent drawing closer and the sound of paws hitting the ground reached my ears. I stared into the sky, the full moon in the center of dusk, surrounded by clouds. It was gloomy. So accurate to how tonight should be.

"I understand what you're doing Jacob and I appreciate it. I know you're trying to get my mind off what's currently happening back at the house but I-I can't just forget what I saw." I whispered to him. After a short while, I turned around to face my favorite wolf. "Take me home."

He nodded his big head before moving towards me, facing his back at me so I could climb on him. I hopped onto his colossal furry frame and I felt the wind immediately blow my hair as we ran back home.

… …

It's been three hours! It's been three hours since I watched my friend die in front of my eyes! No. She's not dead! She can't be! But why do I feel like she is?!

"It's been three hours! They should be calling us by now." I half-whispered half-shouted in Jacob's warm embrace, staring at my phone's screen.

If it wasn't for Seth and Jake pulling me out of the house, if it wasn't for Jake's large arms engulfing me, I'd probably break down right then and there. Jake was the only thing keeping me essentially sane at this moment.

"They'll call." He told me.

I sighed as Seth walked into the room and placed a cup of coffee on the table.

"Thank you, Seth." I murmured.

He nodded as he took a seat on the chair.

"You two should sit down. All this standing is making me frown and I never frown!" Seth joked. I guess it was a tool to lighten up the mood and it worked…a little.

Jake and I pulled apart and I grabbed the coffee, taking a sip of it as I took a seat on the couch.

"What do you think happened?" I asked as I held the piping hot cup in my grasp.

Seth shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess she was ready to pop." He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"No. I mean, what would make her crash?" I asked.

"Carlisle's probably got it figured out." Jake said as he leaned against the fire place, tossing some twigs into the flames.

"I wonder how the baby's going to turn out. I mean the kid's father is an angel/vampire, right? So do you think it'll come out with wings? Or maybe one half of the wings since it's a hybrid?" Seth questioned. I snorted lowly. "No. I'm serious, it's freaking me out. What is this kid?"

"Seth. I don't think it's the right time to come up with theories." Jake said, gesturing to me.

"We need to go." I said, placing the cup back onto the coffee table and hopping off the couch, making my way to the door.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jake stated as he gripped my wrist. I spun around to face him. "Don't you think we should wait a little while longer?"

"Wait for what? Wait for them to tell me that my friend's dead? We can't just sit here and wait for a message when we can go back there and find out for ourselves." I said.

"Are you prepared for that?" Jake asked.

I shook my head. "No. But I know that I can't sit here in suspense, hoping for something that more than likely might not happen. So, are you two coming?"

Jake and Seth glanced at each other before nodding their heads. I nodded my head as I barged my way out of the house with them on my back. We hopped into the car and drove off –although the house is five minutes away, it was dark.

We walked into the Cullen mansion to the sound of loud bickering coming from the living room.

I frowned as I began jogging into the living room to see my dad and even Emmett shouting at Rosalie who seemed to be firing back.

"I still don't understand what made you do that?" Edward sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I thought I was doing the right thing!" Rosalie retorted.

"By going against everything you believed in! Yeah! Okay," Emmett shook his head, releasing a sigh and falling onto the couch with his face in his hands.

"What's going on?" I asked.

All heads turned to us.

"Nessie, I didn't know you came back." My mother said as she walked over to me and wrapping her arms around me.

"Is Lizzie okay?" I asked, holding onto my mom's arm.

The house fell silent.

I didn't know whether to take the sudden stillness as a sign that my thoughts being answered or that there's more to the story that they're finding hard to explain.

"Guys!" I pleaded.

After for what felt like forever, Bella was the one to answer in behalf of all the distressed, livid, apprehensive faces.

"The baby um…" She began carefully. I widened my eyes. The baby died?!

"The baby's okay. It wasn't responsive in the beginning but I got it out in time." Rosalie answered. "_He's_ beautiful. _Carter's_ perfect."

I exhaled one half of the breath I was holding. So the baby was fine. Carter was alive but where did that leave his mother?

"And Lizzie? She didn't make it right?" I confirmed, without actually hearing it from there side.

"We don't know." Edward replied.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"You don't know?" Jake probed.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Seth questioned.

"After the birth, Lizzie began deteriorating almost to the point of having her last breath but Rose decided to perform drastic measures." Edward pointed out.

"Drastic measures? I was saving her life!" Rosalie shouted back.

"By turning her?" Emmett snapped back at his wife.

My heart dropped.

What?!

"Guys –" Bella tried to intervene.

"Turn her? W-why? What? Did she even want that?" I asked frantically.

"No, she didn't which is also why Rosalie shouldn't have done what she did!" Edward stated.

"Okay!" Bella entered in, glaring at my father. "Weren't you the same people who respected my wishes of becoming a vampire?"

"This is different, love."

"No. It's not. Lizzie was willing to go through all of this, carrying the hope that she'd survive in the end and knowing that she might not make it scared her. She may not have wanted this for herself, she may be mad at us _when_ she wakes up but she'll at least be happy to get to know her son. That's all Rosalie wanted for her." Bella said.

"What if she doesn't wake up? What will happen then?" Edward questioned. "Carter will grow up not knowing his mother at all and Rosalie will carry this guilt her whole life."

"Okay, take a step back brother. I feel you but you don't have to take everything out on my wife okay!" Emmett mentioned as he shot up, coming close to my dad.

"I'm not trying to be the bad guy here. I'm just trying to point out the fact that Rosalie is the one person who didn't deserve this kind of life and now she'll have to carry this with her forever. I know how it is to feel like you went against everything you stood for and endangering the life of a human even though it's not premeditated. It's not a good feeling, okay!" Edward stated.

"I know." Rosalie whispered lowly as she looked at both her brother and husband intently.

"But this is me trying to get over that. I can help the lives of two people this way. Watching Bella with Nessie over the years, I realized how important a mother to child bond is! I want that, of course…_I need that_ but not in expense of another." She added.

Emmett immediately softened and he pulled his wife into his arms.

"I'm sorry I'm being a blonde. No offense babe." He whispered. Rose giggled lightly.

"Where's Carlisle?" Jake asked, placing his hand on my back. I leaned into him, clutching his shirt tightly.

"He's in the medical room with Esme." My dad replied as he stood beside my mother, kissing her head.

"Carlisle's running some tests on the baby whilst Esme's keeping an eye on Lizzie."

"So what are we going to do?" Seth asked.

"I guess there's nothing else we can do but wait." Edward pointed out.

The room soon fell silent yet again. So we had to wait three more days to get the answer on whether Lizzie survived the bite or not.

"Are Alice, Jasper and Nahuel still out hunting?" I asked no one in particular.

"Yeah, we texted them earlier and they told us they're on their way." Edward mentioned.

A short while later, Esme's scent lingered into the room and I lifted my head from Jacob's chest to see my grandmother cradling a creamy bundle in her arms and a warm smile plastered on her face.

"Everyone, I know it's been a rather gloomy night but I think it's nevertheless the perfect time to introduce you all to Carter James." She said to all of us.

Rosalie immediately beamed up and ran over to Esme, basically snatching the baby from her and placing him in her arms, relishing in the joy of cradling a baby again. I smiled slightly, glancing at Jake who had a straight face. I rolled my eyes.

"Renesmee, come meet Carter." Aunt Rosalie grinned at me as she, my mother and grandmother cooed at the squirming newborn. I smiled as I slowly made my way over to them, staring down into Rose's arms to see the most beautiful little creature I've ever seen.

Carter's fair skin reminded me so much of a clean sheet of paper but feeling his cheek reminded me of touching a flaming hot bowl of soup. I grinned as stroked his light coffee brown hair. His head was so soft and lustrous.

However, what struck me the most were his gorgeous dark amber eyes. It wasn't like a vampire's, and it wasn't like human's amber eyes, it was…weird. The elements of sea around his eyes, his cute button nose and his peachy lips reminded me so much of Lizzie.

"He's so adorable!" Bella stated.

"I know. He's way cuter than you Nessie, I'm sorry not sorry." Rosalie chuckled as she pressed her finger in his lip and him gurgling in return. I smiled.

I glanced at Jake who smiled back at me. I turned back to the baby and grinned. I had always thought Nahuel was the only other hybrid I'd ever meet but here I am now, seeing someone who'll grow up in both the human world and vampire world. I'm not alone. He's not alone.

As if to either add onto this amazing moment or diminish it completely, we all heard a loud patter of the heart and our heads straightaway darted towards the other room.

… …

**A/N: Hey guys! I threw a cliffyhanger at you and I hope you caught it! This is going to be so intense! I can feel it! **

**So Carter's alive and well and Lizzie's transitioning into a vampire? Hmm…how will that play out?**

**And what did that cold opener in the beginning of the chapter mean?**

**Stay tuned!**

**Review please!**


	37. Chapter 37: Hidden Secrets

**ALEX'S POV**

I hate shopping! Like if I ever have to shop again, I'd probably kill a goat and then myself!

However, Felicity loved shopping and since I loved her –as a friend, like I'm not homo or anything, well not exactly – I just went through it but I'd never willingly do it, you understand?

I would've much rather spend my day watching people falling off of buildings and cats eating birds or I would've spent my day with Mr. Seth Clearwater.

I've always been skeptical when inviting people into my life, getting to know the real Alex Mazzola and not the mask I'm currently putting on. It's always been hard to open up to people because I've been hurt so much in the past but ever since meeting Seth for the first time, those feelings just evaporated into thin air, as if they never existed.

I was constantly hurt before by people in my life and when I got to the point where enough was enough, I realized that I could either crumble into a hole and isolate myself from everybody or I could change my entire personality and let my voice be heard so obviously I went with the latter.

People think I may be rude sometimes, maybe they think I'm too honest or maybe they think I'm just being a savage but frankly I didn't care because I've spent half my life caring about what people thought of me when in reality I should be embracing who I really was. Seth was the one who set that side of me free.

He was the answer to all the questions I'd been asking myself. Will I ever be happy? Is my life worth it? Will I ever find love again? Is there anything sane in this wicked world?

Meeting him instantaneously made me scream: Yes!

I make a lot of big talk about not being a cheesy snoozeball when it comes to love because that was because I've never experienced that before but I know how it's like now –and it's not the love-sick teenager inside of me talking. I genuinely do love the guy but I just haven't found myself saying the words because I'm afraid. I'm afraid of being hurt.

Just like how I was hurt by _**him**_…

However, I knew Seth wouldn't be capable of doing that. He's the sweetest, most thoughtful, loving, happy, carefree guy in the world!

And to think that my feelings for him were enough, I found out he was part of this werewolf clan! I mean how sick is that? I'm dating a werewolf! That should be some sort of TV show, shouldn't it?

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Seth and I were currently sitting in the trunk of his van. Right before school ended, Seth and I snuck out and got into his car and drove off. It's not easy dating your teacher in a small town like this! You can never actually have alone time without anyone making assumptions and having those assumptions come out as true._

"_This song stinks!" I pointed out as we listened to a song by Colbie Caillat. _

"_Hey! Don't hate on the Seth mix-master's playlist! It's romantic!" He pointed out. "But of course you hate that."_

_I rolled my eyes and patted his hard stomach._

"_You'll get over it." I said to him. "I've always wanted to ride a gator."_

"_Okay, random! Why?" He chuckled._

"_I don't know. It's like one of my lifelong dreams. I don't dream to fly a plane, or own a fast car! I want a gator!" I stated. _

"_Mmm…well that could be arranged because back home, I have a Gator 2300!" He stated._

_I gasped. "Shut up!"_

_He laughed. "No, I won't because I love my voice." _

_I rolled my eyes as I took a swig of the Dr. Pepper before placing it back and planting my head on Seth's muscled thigh. _

"_I hope this isn't going to be forever."_

"_What do you mean?" Seth mentioned as I heard him shuffle for a can in the cooler._

"_I don't want us to sneak out of school to hang out with each other all the time. I want us to have the real thing." I said to him._

"_And we will. I promise you. You only have a year left of school."_

"_Yeah, I guess." I replied with a sigh._

_We fell silent for a short while before Seth broke the quietness._

"_Come on," He said as he lifted me from his thigh and hopping out of the van._

"_Where are you taking me?" I chuckled as I hopped out of his Durango and we began walking through the woods of this damned town. _

"_Somewhere we can be alone. I want to show you something." He grinned as he draped his hand around me and began running._

_I laughed as I felt my legs following closely beside him._

"_You can slow down a bit! I am human after all." I snorted._

_He immediately halted when we reached a clearing, overlooking the town. He let go of my hand and took a step back. I gnawed my bottom lip as I eyed him carefully._

"_You're not going to pull a Nicholas Sparks on me and prepare some picnic under the sun, are you?" I asked._

"_Ugh, you ruined the surprise!" He pouted._

_I laughed and rolled my eyes, shoving my hands into my hoodie pockets._

"_No. It's actually something I think and hope you'll like." He whispered. I smiled._

_Okay! _

"_I already like you so I doubt it'll top that." I said to him. _

_He chuckled as he unzipped his suede jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders, tossing it to the side. He then trailed his fingers to his flannel buttons, beginning to undo them._

_I grinned. "Ooh, a peak show!" I teased._

"_Stop it! You know how badly I blush, Alex!" He whined._

_I rolled my eyes. Baby…_

_When he was down to his last button, I watched him pull his plaid shirt off, showing off his perfectly sculptured body before plopping his jean button and shoving it to the ground. _

"_Okay, seriously, now you're stripping? What is going on?" I asked. "Not that I'm complaining because I'm enjoying the landscape."_

"_Shh, you'll see." He murmured before shoving his boxers down and kicking his shoes off._

_I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched a weird aura radiating off him before he morphed into standing on four legs instead of two. The gangly looking creature was rather resplendent, something I had never seen before. He looked so much like one of those fairytale creatures you read in those princess books._

_The horse-like creatures came close to me. I took a step back warily but when I realized the horse-like was actually a wolf and nothing I should be afraid of, I dipped my hand in and patted its furry head, awakening a whirr in return. I giggled._

"_Wicked," I laughed._

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

After that day, I grew closer to Seth in a way I never thought I would. He was my first honest, real, committed relationship and that scares me but it also makes me really excited for what's in store for us.

I knocked on the door and only a minute later, the door immediately opened and my big bro –of only two months – smiled at me.

"Hey there, big bro!" I grinned, letting myself in.

"Come right on in, Alex!" He sighed, shutting the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I hang out with my brother, oh Justin?" I questioned, clutching myself as if I was offended.

"Yeah but that always leads to you wanting something from me." He pointed out.

I shrugged. "True," I simply replied at the thought. "But I actually want to help you now."

"With what?"

"Your girlfriend troubles!"

He sighed.

"What girlfriend troubles?"

"Really?" I questioned with my eyebrows raised.

"Alex!" I heard the warm, high-pitched voice of Sofia Rodriguez, Justin's mom. I turned around and grinned, finding myself being engulfed in her arms.

"How are you Sofia?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm good _hija_. You came back from swim practice?" She asked me, gesturing to my semi-damped hair as she rummaged through her bag. I nodded my head. "Well, I know it'll pay off."

I chuckled. "You're going to work?"

"Yeah, the hospital is swamped! Oakland Woods General can't even hold patients down so they're sending patients over to us at Oakland Woods Memorial." She sighed. "So the on call doctors want us all there."

"What's going on?" I asked.

She sighed. "Mass homicide," She pointed out. I glanced at my brother who looked to the ground. Does he know something about this?

"I've got to go. I won't be able to make it for dinner tonight so I've left $12 for pizza or something. You'll be okay, right hun?" Sofia asked her son who nodded his head in return. She grinned and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Love you,"

"Yeah, me too," Justin replied.

"Love you too." She said, kissing me on the cheek before heading to the door. I laughed. "Oh, I almost forgot. Your father said he wants you two over for brunch tomorrow."

Justin and I glared at each other, frowning before turning back to his mom.

"Why?" We asked in sync.

She shrugged. "Beats me. He says he has something important tomorrow. It's mandatory. I'm talking to you Justin."

That's weird.

My dad never called up a family meeting unless it was something super important. And my brother was never the one invited, even if he was, Justin wouldn't attend.

Something's about to go down…

… …

I woke up the next morning – well should I say12 pm – by the sound of my mother calling my name from downstairs. I groaned as I rolled out of bed and found myself trotting down the stairs and heading to where I heard my mother conversing with someone. I grinned when I realized the person was my brother.

"Hey, tiger." I greeted, wrapping my arms around his neck whilst he pulled me close by the waist.

"When you say you sleep you don't kid." He joked.

I nodded my head. "I value my beauty sleep."

"What beauty?" He teased. I pulled his ear. "Hey! Watch it!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Are you ready for your father today?" My mother asked me nonchalantly as she folded the kitchen cloth.

I looked up into her light brown eyes and nodded my head.

"Yep," I said, letting go of my brother and taking a seat on the island chair.

Our father immediately entered the room and the happy aura suddenly just vanished. It was replaced by something decorous.

"Justin, my son, I'm glad you could make it." Our father, Alessandro greeted as he managed to muster up a smile.

Justin sighed. "No, you're not. You just want me here because you benefit from it. So let's cut to the chase, _dad_!" He emphasized.

Alessandro released a sigh as he stared at my brother, disappointment in his eyes however, I could sense what my brother said was somewhat true.

"We should take this to the living room, please?" He urged, gesturing to the open space leading to the designated room.

I rolled my eyes. I really don't have time for this.

I hopped off the island chair with my brother closely behind me and we entered the big living room to see my Uncle's familiar grin in full effect as he lounged on the couch.

My eyes widened.

"Omigosh!" I squealed.

"Uncle Tony?" Justin chuckled, eyes bulged in shock.

"The one and only!" He laughed as his masculine frame hopped off the couch and jogged over to my brother, pulling him into a massive 'panda' hug.

"Kid, you're on steroids! What's happening?" He laughed as he set my brother down who laughed. He turned to me. "And you! My gorgeous niece!" He said, cupping my face and kissed me –as true Italians all do – and hugging me.

Uncle Tony, my father's younger brother had always wanted to have the title of 'Fun Uncle'. Coming from a giant family like ours, it must be hard to uphold that title but he deserved it because it was actually true. His immature yet refreshing energy just made the room go crazy. And I loved that!

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. "Not that I'm not happy. There should be some liveliness in this dull house."

He chuckled. "I came down from Chicago to visit my favorite niece and nephew before they head off to their senior year of high school, oh how I miss those days. Let me tell you, getting drunk and high on weed is like living on cloud nine." He whispered to me.

"You should try it. And the ladies, woo! Even the not so pretty ones, but once you get a taste for 'em…" He mentioned to Justin, shutting his eyes and nodding his head at the remembrance of his teenage years.

My father cleared his throat. "And I also came to see my stuck-up, uptight big brother, isn't that right Ale?"

"Yes, Anthony." My father replied in annoyance. Uncle Tony laughed.

"I didn't come empty handed!" Uncle Tony mentioned as he ran over to his bags and came back with two gift bags, handing them to us. "I come bearing gifts!"

I greedily seized the bag and began rummaging through the bag –don't judge, I love presents!

I pulled out the gift to see a Metallica T-shirt, two concert tickets to a rock band show and a sweet iPod with a killer rock playlist. I felt my eyes glisten and I turned to my uncle.

"You're my hero." I whispered. He winked at me.

"And you, kid?" He motioned to Justin.

He pulled out a set of car keys. I widened my eyes. Did he just get a car? I don't even have a car! And he already had a truck, why did he get to have a car?

"You got me a car?" Justin laughed.

Uncle Tony grinned widely.

"You got him a car?!" I retorted.

I couldn't believe this.

I am so offended!

Tony laughed. "Nope, I can't afford that! But those-those are the keys to the race car rally in Las Vegas. You should check it out."

Justin chuckled. We gave our uncle a hug and thanks for the gifts.

"So, how long are you here for?" I asked him.

"Uh…" He paused, glancing back at my father who gave him a slight look before turning to us. "We'll see now won't we?"

"Hopefully it'll be for a while." We heard a familiar feminine voice and at that minute, my heart literally flipped. "Now you all didn't forget about your favorite aunt now did you?"

I was flipping.

I turned to where the voice was coming from to see my aunt, Sandy standing by the doorframe with her luggage in her grasp. I squealed so loud my brother covered his ears as I ran over to her, throwing myself in her arms.

"Aunt Alessandra!" I called in her arms. Am I dreaming? What the flip is going on? This is like Oprah! I'm reuniting with all my family members?

"Oh, my lovely niece! God you've grown up to be a freaking supermodel?" She mentioned as she twirled me around. I smiled sheepishly. "I don't know how you do it but I want it!"

"I'm in my pajamas!" I chuckled.

"Hmm…is that what you call it?" She pointed out. I giggled. "I haven't seen you in almost a year!"

"Yeah, since last winter!" I laughed.

She shook her head. "Wow," She smiled as she made her way over to the rest of the family. "Now look at this handsome face." My aunt mentioned as she went over to pinch Justin's cheeks. He groaned.

"Hi, Aunt Sandy," He replied.

"It's good to see you again, Alessandra." My father stated as he looked at his younger sister.

"I wish I can say the same but I'm not here for you. I'm here for my wonderful niece and nephew, okay?" Aunt Sandy stated, not moving her eyes from Justin and I.

I guess that rocky relationship never faded away!

"This is like one big family reunion!" I pointed out, trying to lighten up the mood.

"It sure is!" Uncle Tony replied. "How was Bali?"

Sandy squealed. "Ugh! Amazing! And how's Illinois? You knocked anyone up yet?"

"Not yet, I hope." Uncle Tony said with eyes of horror at thought.

This was amazing! I had two of the best family members with me and I want more than anything to catch up with them but all I kept asking myself was why they were here! I needed to know!

"Okay! As much as I love all of this, why are you guys here?" I asked them.

Sandy and Tony glanced at each other before turning to my father.

"I brought them all here." My dad, Alessandro stated. "They're part of what I'm going to show you."

"Show us?" I said, furrowing my eyebrows as I eyed Justin. "What are you going to show us?"

"All in good time, my daughter," He said to me.

I frowned.

That was weird.

As if on cue, my father's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to read the message. He frowned.

"Is it work?" My mother, Margareta asked.

He shook his head. "No." He replied, looking up at his siblings before turning to my wife. "I better head out, but I'll be back soon." He said, kissing me on the cheek before running off.

He always kissed my mother goodbye but this time he didn't which was strange.

I shook my head as I followed his tail.

"Hey, dad!" I called out. He spun around with his hand on the door, strapping a backpack on his back.

"Yes?"

I pressed my lips together. "What's going on? All the sneaking around, all the meetings…Are you cheating on mom?" I asked bluntly.

"What?"

"You heard me. You've been sneaking out of the house every night a-and I'd like to know why?" I demanded.

I know it isn't the best way to approach the situation but I couldn't help it. I'm sick of all the lying!

"It's nothing you need to worry about just yet, sweetheart." He mentioned to me, flashing a small smile that was so identical to Justin's. It was that male Mazzola smile that could shut anyone up. "Now, go back and catch up with your aunt and uncle." He said before slipping out of the house.

The loud shut of the door caused me to flinch. Something wasn't right. He said that it was nothing I should worry about just yet.

So will I need to worry after finding out?

… …

I was walking on the gravel ground when I approached a derelict warehouse down the upper west coast. I had no idea why I was here but it seems as though I was instructed and obligated to be here.

I skimmed through my surroundings before unfurling the rolled up chains of the large, metallic doors. I watched the chains fall hard onto the sandy, dusty ground before opening the door.

I jumped over the manacles before waltzing into the cold, gloomy, eerie, abandoned warehouse.

"Hello?" I called out; hoping to get an answer but all I got was my voice echoing throughout the empty space.

I inhaled deeply.

The door closing shut caused me to flinch. I folded my arms together as I decided to saunter my way into the warehouse.

I loved watching spooky things. I loved anything spooky but I didn't particularly like being a part of anything spooky, you get what I mean? I tend to get a little squeamish –which is exactly what's happening right now.

However, I also don't get frightened easily so hit me with your best shot, totally dark, funky, restricted warehouse! Uh…yeah…

"Anyone in here?" I asked.

I heard a series squeaking noises and I was immediately on high alert!

"I can hear you!" I retorted.

It's probably a rat.

"Hello?" I called.

_It's a rat, Alex! It won't answer you!_ I heard my conscience speak to me in my head. I rolled my eyes.

I shook my head as I continued walking through the warehouse, moving past decayed bird matter, old sheets of cardboard paper and all sorts.

When I reached a particular part of the warehouse, I heard a flicker of something and a huge, bright light shone onto my face. I covered my face as I tried to hide my face at the suddenness. That was immediately the time I heard a bunch of things falling and the shuffling of restraints coming from behind me.

I widened my eyes. Somebody was here.

Someone was here. Something was behind me and I had no idea what to do.

I decided on the one thing I shouldn't have done.

I looked back.

I turned around to see a man, held back by hawsers I assumed as he narrowed his dark eyes at me. Dark….I've never seen such a color before. It was almost like grease. Black, gooey grease. His clothes had been frayed and showcasing his skin. His skin was so anemic. I could not even notice the marks on his face. I could only imagine him bathing in powder or milk all his life.

However, this is not what scared me the most.

His teeth, his teeth were the things that I had my eyes set on. They were long, sharp and bared. I widened my eyes as I turned on my heel and charged for the door, only to find myself tripping over something.

I heard the chains break apart and before I knew it, I was met with a growling noise and the man with granite skin making its way towards me, fangs bared and chains following his tail.

My eyes widened and I released a high-pitched scream before I watched an arrow pierce through the guy's neck, awakening a scream in his throat and causing him to crumble to the ground. His neck had slightly been readjusted, almost at the verge of breaking point.

"Okay!" I heard a deep, heavy voice coming up on the second floor balcony. I looked up to see my father looking down at me. "I guess you're not ready just yet."

My eyes widened.

What the freaking hell?

"Dad?"

I watched him descend the steps, making a clanking noise and five guys emerging from the shadows with weapons on their bodies. They all charged at the man who looked to have been starved for months and held him back, grabbing some chains and cuffing him again.

"I'm glad you came, my daughter." My father smiled at me as he made his way towards me. He extended his hand out to me as a sign to help me up but I just spat, shifting back. He chuckled as he walked over to the man and grabbed his face fiercely.

"Hmm…looks like you've got a crack on your neck." He laughed sinisterly. The man snarled back. "You must be starving after two months of no food, huh? You look terrible, son!"

"I could eat you!" The man with shoulder-length, ruffled hair growled.

Why was my dad doing this? What is my dad doing? I can't believe my dad is –! What the hell is happening?

"Why are you doing this to him?" I groaned, still shocked at what just happened.

My narrowed his eyes at me. "Why am I doing this to him? Honey, I think the question you should be asking is 'Why are they doing this to us'?" He said, letting go of the man's face and making his way over to me.

"These are the people that cause our population to decrease. Have you seen the news lately? Thirteen locals got killed in the past six months alone and twenty went missing." He stated.

He stood in front of me and I shifted back.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you!" He tried to console me.

"How do I know that, _dad_?" I spat. "If that's even your real name,"

He sighed. "Okay." He replied as he began pacing around me.

"I know I've been hiding some stuff from you. I know. But that's only because I wanted to protect you. I kept all of this so that you wouldn't be exposed to this world."

"This is a dangerous world and all I wanted for you is to be safe. However, we've noticed for the past months the capability you hold. I thought you'd be ready when you turned eighteen but I was wrong." He mentioned.

Ready? Ready for what?

"Our family comes from a long line of people who preserved humanity. They put the whole world's lives first." He mentioned. "Ever wondered why I was named after your grandfather? And why he was named after his grandfather? Do you know what the name _Alessandro_ means?"

I nodded my head, getting up from the ground and facing my father. "It means _Defender of Men_."

"That's right." He replied with a smile. "The Mazzola family name has been around for centuries. Italy being our homeland, The Mazzola's were a well-known family dynasty. That was until _they_ wiped out the entire name from existence in 1829." He told me.

"You see, Alexandra, _mi bellissimo bambino_." He mentioned, running his hand over my face. I flinched. "This is a wicked world, with wicked people and they need to be gone."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

He sighed. "Ever wondered if the stories you thought were just fairytales and myths were real? Well, I think you'd be pretty surprised to know that they are." He pointed out.

"What? Like dragons and princesses?" I demanded –and I wasn't trying to be funny.

"No." He replied. "These creatures are far more powerful, far more dangerous." He stated. "_Ambrogio bagno di sangue,_"

I replayed the word in my head. Ambrogio bagno di sangue…

"Blood-bathing Immortals?" I asked.

He nodded his eyes. "Yes, my child. Vampires are real." He stated.

My eyes widened. Vampires? The whole blood-thirsty, creature of the night, sleeps in coffins, never sees sunlight myth? Was my dad being serious right now?

"Are you serious?" I laughed.

"What did you just see?" He retorted, pointing directly at the man being held back by the manacle and the men. I turned to him.

And then realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

He wasn't a man. No. He wasn't human…

"I-I don't understand." I whispered.

"_Vampires_ have been around for centuries and centuries again but the origin of the race remains a mystery. They are immortal beings who feed and survive off of the blood of us, mere **humans**!" He spat out. "Contrary to pop culture, these vampires don't possess the qualities that we assume they have so that makes it harder to detect them if they're around."

"Many people who came across them never come out alive to even inform the world about them. Your great-great-great grandfather began studying them as a mere child in a small Italian village. He grew up fascinated about them when he met an 'a creature from the heavens' approach him but his fascinated died out when he watched the immortal kill his mother one night when she was sleeping. At that age, your mother is everything to you. He wanted to avenge her death. He wanted to let the world know that there are dangerous things out there and they needed to perish!"

I frowned. This is insane!

I wanted so bad to slip out of there but my dad's henchmen came to my side, blocking me from retreating.

"Nobody would've believed him though. He knew that just as much. So, what was he going to do? Well, he was going to prove to the world and diminish the entire vampire race." My father told me.

I chuckled. "This is insane, dad? Is this some sort of joke? Am I being punk'd right now?"

"You should know by now that I never joke!" He shouted. I flinched. "I brought you here to tell you, to show you why I do this."

"Why couldn't Justin be here? He should know just as much as me!" I told him.

"Your brother is…" He said, pausing as he reverted back to something. "He's not ready."

I frowned.

"Our ancestor grew up studying the vampires, studying their weaknesses, studying their strengths. He wanted to find a way to destroy them, just like how they destroyed his life." He mentioned. "He came across a vampire in his early twenties one night. His pale skin was hard as stone, like marble. It was freezing cold. The vampire's deep, dark crimson eyes met with his and in just a second, he could've been dead but something happened. Long story short that was his first kill,"

I widened my eyes. I didn't think you could kill a vampire just by mere luck? I mean can you? And why the hell am I entertaining this?

"How did he do that?"

My father grinned. He pulled out a lighter and lit it, flashing it against his nose before putting it out. I gulped.

"It was the only possible way to destroy the thing, he believed and that's when more vampire kills occurred, actively decreasing its population." He told me.

"B-but-but he was just human?"

"Exactly!" My father snapped his fingers at me. "That's what the bloodsuckers thought. How could just a mere human destroy almost a hundred vampires in the space of ten years? However, what they didn't know was that he wasn't working alone. He and the local beauty of the town met up that same night. They fell in love instantly and that's when the Mazzola line began. His wife, your great-great-great grandmother wasn't just a pretty face. She had tricks up her sleeve. She was the true protector of the village." He told me.

Way to go girl power I guess.

"Okay, but I still don't understand how they were able to kill that many vampires and not get killed." I said.

"They had help." I heard a feminine voice replace my dad's thick, masculine one. I widened my eyes as I watched my aunt, Sandy enter the room in all leather. She waltzed over to the vampire and pulled the arrow out of him, causing him to groan.

She scanned the arrow's tips.

My aunt knew about all of this too?

"That's correct." My dad replied, smiling at his younger sister. "They did have help. Recruitments, if lack a better word. They had people who were willing to risk their lives for humanity. People who believed."

"You can't kill a vampire with sunlight because apparently it sparkles. You can't kill it with a wooden stake, you can't kill it with silver and you can't kill it by breaking its neck so how can you kill it…hmm? That's the question the Mazzola bloodline has been asking for more than a century. Our ancestors tried but ultimately failed and the question still lived." Aunt Sandy mentioned.

"But they did manage to kill them, sister. With fire, remember?" My father told Sandy.

"Yes but look where it got them, _brother_." She snapped. "Obviously they needed to find another way to destroy them. Ripping them apart didn't work either because they would always find a way to put the pieces back together, like a puzzle." She told.

What?!

"I guess there could be a possible way to kill them. It's ridiculous but it could be."

Sandy stared at her brother. "Vampire Disease…"

"Vampire Disease" refers to the condition known as _Sangue Debolezza_, which translates to 'blood weakness' in Italian. No one really knows what it is or how it is spread but it's the only known disease that can kill a vampire like these, that's what records tell us. _Sangue Debolezza_ is extremely rare and its origin is unknown, so the chances of somehow being able to inflict this disease on a vampire would be difficult. However, seeing as there a handful of ways a vampire can die." My father replied.

"A handful, sure," Sandy scoffed.

This is so messed up! I could not even pay attention to their little conversation because my mind was being boggled with all this sudden information. Vampires were real? And my family knew about them?

"Okay, hold up. What happened to his mother's killer? Did he manage to kill him too?" I asked my dad.

"No." He said. "Years went by and he still couldn't find the vampire that took his mother's life. However, he did know information about this particular vampire. He was part of this Italian enemy clan, sort of the presidents or kings of the vampire world. He didn't know where they resided. He didn't know how to find them. But he was determined to die trying."

"Now generations later, the Mazzola bloodline learned about the legend. This was perfect because the family grew, spreading across the world, even after being wiped out by the same vampires all those years ago. We still stand." Sandy stated. "And with each century, technology improved."

"And this meant there were more ways we could defeat this abomination." My father, Alessandro added.

"Arrows, rifles, shotguns, pistols, metallic stakes. These were the few things we created." My uncle, Anthony appeared. "But we found out that these vampires wouldn't back down. Their shitty skin wasn't penetrable by anything. So the generations came up with ways to defeat them until they came across a certain creature."

"They're known as _Children of the Moon, Creatures of the Night, Lycanthrope, Moondogs_, _Wild Beasts_ but their more commonly known alias is Werewolf." My father told me. "Dominated in countries in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, these creatures were the only that didn't deviate from their natural norms."

My breathing hitched and my heart skipped.

I believed werewolves existed because I'm dating one!

"They only transition to their forms on a full moon. Werewolf venom in their system is the only possible way to transmit the gene to someone else. We could've easily destroyed this race but they pursued in the same goal. Wiping out the blood-bathers." Uncle Anthony stated.

"So our ancestors formed an alliance with them in the late 1800s after the same vampire clan wiped half of its existence. We agreed to kill as many vampires as we can until we left the main course for last."

"However, they broke the deal. They broke it by endangering human life, turning people into them." Sandy stated. "So we stabbed them in the back just how they stabbed ours."

"We noticed that they're the answer to all our questions since they're the only creature able to kill a human by physical means. Their venom, their teeth, can kill a vampire in an instant."

"So we took what they have…" Alessandro grinned. He flashed the arrow in his hands to me. "This arrowhead is made from a certain werewolf's fangs which can easily pierce through its skin. It's laced with werewolf venom, which acts as a poison to a vampire, killing it slowly if not treated." He smiled as he turned to the immobile vampire. "He's dying."

I narrowed my eyes at my family. They were unrecognizable to me. Just yesterday, I thought we were an average, normal family and now, all I see are blind spots.

Am I born into a family of killers?

"Many other weapons of ours have been influenced by these traits. Heck, even _Black Magic_ contributed." Uncle Anthony stated as he pulled out a pistol. "This is a turnover pistol loaded with bullets filled with dark matter and werewolf venom."

"And this is an AKS-74U carbine. The bullets are inspired by the teeth." Sandy grinned at me, flashing the large firearm.

"And my personal favorite, the Arbalest Crossbow that shoots fire bolts, burning the vampire to ashes instantly." My father stated, gesturing to the bow one of the henchmen held.

I turned to my father.

"Is that why you gave me all those lessons as a kid?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "I can see you're ready, Alexandra."

I frowned. I don't think I'm ready for all of this? This is just too insane and I just…

My father just smiled, as if he read my mind and began pacing around me.

"Insegniamo ai nostre figli di essere guerrieri, a combattere per le loro famiglie mentre noi, Insegniamo le nostre figli per essere proterrori." He mentioned as he whispered into my ear. My breathing hitched. I knew exactly what the motto meant.

"We teach our sons to be _warriors_, to fight for their families and never back down from a fight. We teach our daughters to be _protectors_, only valuing human life…to be _guardians_." He translated. "Alexandra, _Protector of Humanity_."

My eyes widened as I turned to look at my father.

"That's you." He whispered proudly. "I told you before how your ancestor was the true protector of the village, and that tradition has never changed. I believe that you're ready. We believe that you're ready. All that's left is for you to believe yourself." My father told me, cupping my face and kissing my forehead.

He placed the crossbow onto the ground and began heading out. My uncle soon followed, placing the gun on the ground beside it and so did my aunt with the pistol. She smiled as she kissed my cheek and followed her siblings.

"Take the chains off!" My father called to his henchmen. I spun around to see my dad standing by the door. "We're timing you."

What? Was my dad seriously going to leave me alone with a starving vampire? How could he do such a thing?

"Dad!" I cried out.

"I know you can do this. I trust you." He said to me before he and my uncle and aunt left the warehouse with their fellow huntsmen following closely behind.

"Dad!" I sobbed.

I could hear a low growl coming from behind me. I slowly turned around to see the vampire glaring at me, with his fangs bared.

I could feel my heartbeat rising the same time I felt tears trickling off my cheek.

I stared down at the weapons before staring back at the vampire making its way over to me.

This is it…

… …

**A/N: Another cliffhanger! Crazy! I'm sorry guys but I enjoy being evil! *Aro laugh***

**[I had to do a ton of research on killing vampires and it was hard because the vampires in Stephenie Meyer's world are not part of the norm *shakes her head*.]**

**So Alex comes from a family line of vampire hunters and she's the chosen hunter as the next heir! Uh, that's a lot of responsibility to uphold. Will she go through with it? How will this affect the Cullens? How will it affect her friendship with Nessie?**

**Heck! Will she even survive this vampire?**

**You'll find out soon enough in the upcoming chapter of 'Dusk Horizon'!**

**REVIEW! **


	38. Chapter 38: Last Heartbeat

**Third Person**

It was late in the evening. Lacey had just watched her boyfriend storm out of her crappy house in Oak Avenue. Lacey had been a local resident of Oakland Woods, the town surrounded by Oak Trees, the town that breathes excellence for over ten years now and things just get horrible for her each year. Her boyfriend, or should I say ex-boyfriend had just slammed his fist against her face yet she's finding herself running for him when she should stay put.

"You're an asshole! You know that?" Lacey retorted, throwing a beer bottle at him but sadly missing him by a couple of inches. "You're a coward! You can't face me after you cheated on me with some skank, took all my money, broke my heart and slapped me across the face! It shows what kind of psycho, piece of shit you are you little twerp!" She screamed as she shoved him.

"I'm going to kill you!" He shouted.

"Do it! It's not like you haven't had the opportunity before!" She shrieked as she waved her hands in the air.

He flung his truck door open and hopped in, slamming the door shut in the process.

"Go! Run! Joey! Run! Run like the _cowardly__,_ scared kitten you are! You can't hurt me anymore. You're just a little boy rotting in that male exterior!" She laughed hard as she stood in front of his truck. She slammed her fist against the hood. "Look at me you bitch!"

Joey shoved his keys into the ignition and turned the car on.

"You took everything from me! You took away everything!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

He began to drive and bumped into her, causing her to groan in pain and forcibly move away. She threw kicks against his tires and punches against his window.

"I will get you for this! You can't run away from what you did you asshole!" She shouted as she grabbed a rock on the side of the road and hurled it toward the window, ultimately shattering it.

She panted heavily as she released all the tears she'd been holding back before crumbling to the ground and sobbing ferociously.

She had nothing! She lost everything! And it was all his fault!

She got up from the ground and stumblingly making her way back to her house.

Lacey stopped in her tracks when she saw a large shadow fly above her. She lifted her head up to see the open sky and tree branches. She frowned and shook her head before making her way up the pathway.

She suddenly heard the ruffling of leaves coming from the bushes. She spun around to the sound of feet hitting the ground.

"I can hear you!" She retorted.

An eerie gush of wind swept past her. She immediately grabbed the nearest object and began making her way over to the bushes close to the woods. It was pitch-dark and she wasn't prepared for anything that lurked around but she had nothing to live for.

The minute she took another step forward, she was met with two fiery glow sticks that represented eyes of a human yet something more.

"Who's there?"

The glow sticks suddenly disappeared into the trees and into the night sky. She widened her eyes when she watched a figure making its way toward her.

"Stay away from me!" She cried out in panic.

"Don't be afraid…" She heard a masculine, sinister, eerie whisper.

A man dressed in a dark leather jacket and pants emerged from into the moonlight. Lacey's eyes widened in shock and fright as she watched the man make his way closer to her.

The man wasn't the thing that was peculiar per se, no. It was the pair of large black, dusky wings emerging from his back. The fiery glow sticks were in fact his eyes, eyes searching for blood to shed.

"What are you?" She questioned. He smiled slyly. "Stay away!" She said, holding the shovel up.

The man ran inhumanly fast toward and held her down.

"No. No. No! Sweetheart, there's no need for you to do that." He mentioned, cupping her face gently in his cold grasp. She began hyperventilating. "I'm here to help you, my dear."

She furrowed her brows, feeling tears fall down her cheek.

"How?" She questioned.

He grinned widely. "Like this…" He trailed off as his teeth in size. His fangs emerged from his gums and his eyes sparked.

Lacey's breathing hitched and her panting began to grow heavy. He held her face tightly in his grasp and forced her to gaze into his eyes.

"You will not scream. You will not try to run away. And you will do whatever I say from now on." He stated firmly.

After a short while, something inside of her just stopped and a new feeling charged into her. She involuntarily nodded her head before everything went blank.

…. ….

**ALEX'S POV**

I watched the vampire fall to the ground and the flames immediately engulf his entire stone-like body. I breathed out heavily; panting for dear life as I slowly descended the crossbow.

I watched his body burn to ashes.

Oh my god! I killed someone.

I killed a vampire!

I could feel the tears quickly well up in my eye sockets and slowly descend off my cheek and landing on the tips of my lips. I could taste the saltiness in the tears.

I dropped the weapon to the ground as I wiped the tears away with the sleeve of my shirt. I began backing away, spinning around and making my way to the door. I ran out, not even caring to shut the door and ran to the car where my aunt, Sandy waited for me.

"Two minutes and three seconds." She grinned at me. "You beat my record of three minutes on my first kill."

"I cannot believe you guys made me do that." I sobbed, crossing my arms and raising my brows up. "I-I mean, h-how could you guys keep this from me for seventeen years!"

"We didn't think you'd be ready at the time." She told me. I scoffed, shaking my head.

"Look, I know this is confusing. I know you're angry, I know. You may hate us now…but this will help you in the long run. You _**will**_ thank us for doing this." She pointed out firmly.

I tried my level best not to look at her because I didn't know whether I'd break down or not.

"Deep down you knew something was up. You may think you're not ready, but you are." She stated.

"I don't want this, Sandy. Don't you get it? I just want to have a normal life!" I told her.

"Nobody's life is normal, Alex." She mentioned, cupping my face with her firm hands. "You'll understand soon enough." She whispered, planting her lips on my forehead.

She pulled away to look at me and smiled crookedly. My aunt was never one to be warming. I mean she didn't even look warming as some aunts usually do. She was intimidating in every aspect, her frame, her facial expressions, everything –which makes it harder to refuse or even argue with her.

"Wrap it up boys." She called to the henchmen and I watched them run into the warehouse before coming back, carrying the weapons in their grasp.

"All clear," One of them confirmed.

"Let's get out of here." Sandy said to me before running to the drivers' seat.

I glanced back at the warehouse. I remembered vividly, the fear in my being as I watched that vampire's murderous eyes gaze into me like some fireball. The look on his face terrified me.

However, what really horrified me the most was having to release the arrow and watched it go straight through his chest and being met by the horrific screams echoing from his mouth.

I killed someone today, vampire or not. I killed someone for the first time in my life.

And I don't think I would ever get over that.

… …

I walked down the halls of the school, hearing all the kids rambling on and watching them all scramble around. My face was on high alert I imagined. After last night, I didn't quite know what to believe anymore. I didn't know _who_ to believe.

All I could picture was a vampire, so bloodthirsty, making his way towards me but also, all I could see was a man burn to death right before my eyes.

I spotted Felicity and Rea chatting by their lockers.

"Hey, Alex!" Felicity grinned widely. The short blonde haired girl, dressed in a floral sundress with a denim jacket shut her locker door. "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head and smiled convincingly. "Yeah, I'm good. What are you talking about?"

"Felicity's blabbering on about Prom and I'm telling Felicity about her bad luck in finding guys!" Rea replied.

"Hey! I have you know that I have a date to the Junior Prom, thank you very much! I don't see you girls have a line of guys just waiting for your call." Felicity teased.

"Ooh! Prom is in exactly twenty-three days and fifteen hours and three minutes! I cannot wait!" Felicity squealed.

I shook my head.

Rea chuckled, rolling her eyes as she lingered onto Luke who had been digging for some treasure or whatever up his nose. She sighed and smiled slightly.

"What a dork," She murmured in wonder.

I furrowed my eyebrows, giving her a quick survey. What was that exchange?

What the heck? I didn't even care at this point. My mind was too busy being bombarded with all this information that got thrown to me all of a sudden. Vampires exist? And they were the factors that caused our human population to decrease. I found out that my _family_ are people who preserve human life and not only that, but also, I'm apparently the only one who can protect the human race from the vampires. I'm the only one who can stop them?

This is like a crazy, cheesy, soap opera, superhero movie!

"Hey! Did you guys hear about Mr. Clearwater?" Felicity pointed out.

This immediately stopped my train of thought and I was now filled with worry rising inside of me.

What happened to Seth? Was he okay?

Something in me just shifted and I was suddenly on full alert, worrying about Seth.

"What about Mr. Clearwater?" I asked.

"Well, apparently Mr. Clearwater, the Geography teacher, the one you think is so great..." Felicity said to me. "Is having a thing with one of his students.'

My heart jumped.

Seth was having a thing with a student? Isn't that illegal? Was he hiding something from me?

But then I realized, the student was me and now the whole school knows about it!

"W-what?" I questioned apprehensively.

"Yeah, the word is out he's frolicking out of the school with a certain girl. And behind closed classroom doors, I hear they're doing the _deeds_!" Felicity whispered. "Oh, and don't forget to vote Felicity Stone for Prom Queen!" She added, gushing Graham Crackers and chocolate from her basket to passers.

My eyes widened.

"That is not true!" I stated in defense.

"I don't think it's true. It's just a rumor." Rea mentioned.

I tried my very best to keep my head down as I suddenly felt self-conscious. I could feel all the eyes piercing on me from every student and I felt like all the laughs and talks were about me.

"Sure, maybe it is but whatever it is, I don't blame the girl. Have you seen the guy? He's Hispanic right?" Felicity asked out of the blue.

"Native American," I corrected quickly.

Felicity chuckled. "Looks like someone has a small crush on him!" She teased, nudging me by the arm. " Vote for Felicity Stone for Prom Queen."

I laughed nervously. "Pfft! No…pfft! W-what would make you think that? You have a crush on him!"

She rolled her eyes. "Ooh! Guys! Check this out." Felicity squealed as she dug into her handbag and pulled out an ancient, dusty, mahogany book that seemed to have a series case of overloaded writing. It actually scared me.

Rea coughed and waved her hand in the air.

Felicity grinned sympathetically. "Sorry," She mentioned as she dusted off the book.

"What have you got there?" I asked.

"My grandmother came from Philadelphia for the weekend and gave me this book to read. At first I thought it was gibberish but when I actually got to reading it, I found it quite interesting. Apparently, I come from a long line of clairvoyants!" She grinned widely.

I glanced at Rea who sported the same confused frown I had.

"Clairvoyants?" We questioned in unison.

"Well, yeah. You know telepathists, mediums, mystics? Those types of things. Anyway, I think it's a joke of course but I find it quite interesting nonetheless. In 1400 B.C.E, there were three average aged women in the small Irish town called Cressidania whom possessed abilities that were unnatural, _paranormally unnatural_ if you will. Anyway, they used their powers to communicate with the figures deep in the earth. The corpses. The _dead_…" Felicity ranted on, adding dramatic effect.

This caused Rea to laugh and pull out her cross necklace and waving it in front of Felicity's face –who shooed her off.

"So basically they were witches?" I pointed out.

"They were not witches!" She argued. "They were much more than that. They didn't have spells or anything like that; however, they did possess abilities that were quite unnatural. It's pretty sick!" She chuckled. Rea laughed so hard at this.

"This is ridiculous! How can you have the power to defy God?" Rea giggled.

"Omigosh, you guys don't believe me?" She questioned, feeling utterly offended and hurt.

Rea shrugged. "Sorry,"

I didn't know what to believe at this point because the things I thought were just myth and legends turned out to be true in the space of two weeks!

"You know what? Fine! I don't need you guys anyway!" Felicity pouted, shoving her book into her handbag dramatically. "Renesmee would find this rather exciting!"

"Where's Renesmee anyways?" I asked, realizing our best friend wasn't around. I mean, Renesmee was the type of girl who'd never be late for school, or anything for that matter. She's too much of a goodie-goodie-bookworm to even ask to go to the bathroom let alone skip school.

"She's probably giving her new man a bikini wax." Felicity pointed out. I frowned. "Oh, you guys didn't know? Nessie's dating someone now!"

"I thought she was with Justin."

"They broke up." I told her. Rea nodded her head.

"H-how do you know this?" I demanded as I narrowed my eyes at Felicity.

"It's all over the _twittersphere_ darling!" Felicity told me. "She was seen with an older, more attractive man a week ago!"

"Is he really tall, really muscular and super tan?" I asked. Felicity nodded her head.

She was dating Jake? I knew there was something going on between them! After seeming them together at her party and hearing the way she talks to him, and how she gets when his name is mentioned, I knew there was more to them than just friends!

Why couldn't she tell me?

"How come she hadn't told us anything?" Rea asked.

Felicity shrugged. "Who knows?"

"I don't trust her." Rea pointed out bluntly.

We narrowed our eyes at her in confusion.

"Why?"

"Yeah, Nessie's like the sweetest, most trustworthy person in the world! She's like our own personal unicorn!" Felicity giggled.

I shook my head at the blonde.

"I don't know. She's just…there's just something about her I don't trust." Rea said. "I mean just the other day; she acted all funny when I asked her questions about her family. When Mr. Ainsworth went all MIA, she was weird, like she knew something about him that we don't." Rea stated.

"How is it that she and Ms. Maguire were so close yet she had no idea where she was? You guys do realize that it's been more than a month since your biology teacher has stepped foot into this building, right? And have you met her grandfather, the chief of surgery at Oakland Woods General? He's supposed to be like fifty and yet he looks thirty or forty! Heck even younger." Rea said passionately.

"Yeah, but don't all Californians look years younger than they should?" Felicity stated indifferently. "Vote for Felicity Stone for Prom Queen." She grinned, handing out more crackers and chocolate.

"And how do you know he's not her father or something?" I pointed out.

"Okay fine! Explain how we've never been to her house when her family's around?" She stated. "Or how she never plays sports on a sunny day! She's always out sick."

"I would do that if I were her too! I mean who wants to run track when it's almost 100 degrees?" I asked. "Nessie's the nicest chick in the world! I doubt she's capable of hiding something from us."

"You're very observant. Are you sure you're not a borderline stalker?" Felicity gasped/accused. Rea sent her a stern look.

"She hid the fact that she's dating someone?" Rea pointed out.

That's true…

"I think you're being a little delusional!" Felicity giggled.

"Okay, fine, maybe you're right." Rea pointed out.

What Rea said got me thinking. Maybe there was something in the water here. I know Nessie's been weird these past few weeks, like she's out of it or something but I never actually pointed it out.

If Renesmee was indeed hiding something from us, I think it'd be for good reason right? Or maybe she thinks it's something so deep that could possibly influence our friendship. I don't know! After the whole life-shock, I need to reevaluate my life and see who I keep close to me.

I sighed and glanced to the side to see Seth fumbling with his classroom door keys. I snorted. What a dork!

I love it!

He turned around and grinned when he saw me. I gave him a wink and he blushed in return. I smiled.

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

"You should go to school." Jacob told me as he placed a cup of coffee on the kitchen counter.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" I asked as I continued sketching a drawing of the forest on my sketchbook.

"Not my shift yet," He told me. "What are you working on?"

"I'm working on this drawing of the Forks woods. I haven't sketched in a while so I'm just getting the jig of it again." I told him as I encircled a sun behind a bunch of trees. I dropped the pencil and grabbed the cup.

I couldn't stop thinking about what happened that night! I thought sleeping would take my mind off things but it only made it worse.

I sighed as I took the cup and sipped.

"Look, everything is fine." Jake assured me.

I nodded my head. "I'm just worried about what's going to happen in the next two days."

Lizzie's transitioning into a vampire right now and I had no idea what to expect. I didn't want this life for her. She doesn't deserve this.

"Don't." He murmured to me as he came to my side and wrapped his long, large arms around me and practically began hovering over me. I groaned, trying to shove his heavy frame off my back.

"You're heavy, Jacob." I giggled.

"You like that don't you." He teased, showering me with kisses on the cheek. I giggled.

"No. I don't." I replied, placing my cup on the counter. I turned around and draped my arms around his waist whilst he kept his arm around my neck.

"Are you sure about that?" He mentioned teasingly. I gnawed my bottom lip and nodded my head. "I'm assuming you don't like kisses from me either."

"I could always use more kisses from you, Jacob." I pointed out.

"Hmm…" He hummed as he leaned into to brush my lips lightly before pulling away to grin at me.

I frowned. "That's not a kiss," I groaned.

I grabbed him by the nape of his neck and pulled him into a strong, passionate kiss on the lips. I giggled as I felt him tickle me with his tongue.

"Ahem…." A clear of the throat caused us to jump away from each other suddenly.

Jake and I saw my father and mother standing a couple of feet behind us. I looked to see Jake looking absolutely nervous. I tried not to giggle at how adorable he looked.

"Your mother and I are heading to the main house." My father told us. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

I widened my eyes. "Um…well, I was wondering if it's okay if I skip today. I mean after Saturday night, I don't think I'll be able to get through the day."

"But you're able to make out with your boyfriend?" My father questioned bluntly.

"What your father means is…" My mother stepped in. "You shouldn't let what happened last weekend get in the way of your schooling. You may stay for the day; I don't have a problem with that."

My father's eyes bulged as he turned to his wife. I smiled.

"It's a bit hot today too so I also think it'd be best if you stayed put. But you should make sure you go to school tomorrow and catch up on what you've missed." She told me.

I had always wondered why we moved to the one place where it was always sunny but my parents told me that the plan to move to California was partly because the family has been to almost every other state but California and they chose Oakland Woods because it was by far the coldest party of the state. Initially, we were only staying here for a year or two but I have a feeling that our time here's going to be shortened.

"Yes, mother." I told her.

"And I urge that you needn't get distracted, okay my child? I don't want any unwanted energy…" My father brought up as he glared at Jacob. "Getting in the way of your school career,"

"Okay, dad!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"I'm serious. I may be accepting of the relationship between you two but I'm finding it hard watching you two kiss every five seconds! It's not healthy for your mouths to kiss that many times. Your lips could get cracked and Chap Stick won't help you guys any longer, okay?" He pointed out concernedly.

Oh my god!

"Okay! Dad! We get it, geez!" I cried out, placing my face in the palm of my hand and shaking my head.

"So I guess we're in agreement. No kissing when _dad_ is around, no touching, no heavy petting, a 15 inch distance when talking and no gawks of the eyes okay! Have a pure flesh guys." Edward said.

"This is not happening," I heard Jacob whisper under his breath.

I shook my head.

"And about _the talk_ –"

I widened my eyes! No! No!

"Mom!" I pleaded, gesturing to my father who seemed pretty determined to begin the discussion. That makes one of us!

She smiled. "We're going to visit everybody, see the baby and check how Lizzie's doing." She replied, grabbing my father by the hand and walking toward the door.

"But Bella, I'm not finished discussing the talk." He tried to protest.

"You guys can tag along if you want." Bella called back. "I mean, if you're ready of course. Bye!" She added before she and dad walked out of the house and to the main one.

I sighed. Thank god!

"Well that wasn't awkward at all!" Jake laughed as he turned to me. I smiled. "Now where were we…?" He strained as he placed his warm hands on my shoulders and leaned in.

I quickly arched my head back and glared at him.

"Are you serious right now?" I pointed out. He shrugged.

"What?" He asked rhetorically. I scoffed. "Look, I know your dad's a little on the kuku train but that's a good sign."

"How's any of that good?" I demanded.

"He's acknowledging our relationship. From the time I knew Edward, I've come to notice that he has a weird way of dealing with things and this is one of them. We don't have to worry, baby…yet of course." He added as he leaned in to kiss me on the cheek.

I blushed lightly.

"Oh, _boo boo_!" I stated –using the new pet name I've stumbled across for him – as I draped my arms around his neck and hopped onto him, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist which caused him to grunt lowly.

He gripped my thighs firmly in his grasp as I began nuzzling my nose against his chin. I ran my hands up and down his shoulders before moving them down his heavy, hard chest.

"We should go out when all this is over." I suggested. "I mean how is it we've been together almost a month and never went on our first official date?"

"True," He nodded. "But I think the wait would make it extra special."

"You think?" I asked.

"I know, baby." He whispered huskily, causing my insides to burn familiarly and a giggle to erupt in my throat –with the addition of a blush of course.

I cupped his face in my hands and slammed my lips on his in a fervent kiss before quickly pulling away to grin at him.

"You're my mate you know that, right?" He said to me.

I felt my grin fall.

Something about what he said felt so right to me, like those words were what I've been looking for all my life however, something about those words also felt confusing to me.

Was I really his mate? I knew all about the imprinting and all. I knew that when a wolf imprints on someone their whole life is dedicated to protecting and loving that person for the rest of their lives. The love they have is so strong it's actually unbreakable.

But did that mean the same for him and me? Will he imprint on someone and leave me brokenhearted in the end?

Or has he already set his eyes on that girl and hadn't told me anything about it?

"Yeah, of course I know that." I said to him convincingly as I fiddled with the hairs on his face.

He grinned as he ran his large, warm hands up my waist. I could feel my insides burn at the touch.

"We should probably head out before your dad loses his head –which by the way will solve _so_ many problems!" He mentioned as he set me onto the ground. I giggled.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"I'm just going to use the bathroom. I'll be back in a few," He said before walking out of the room.

I gnawed my bottom lip as I watched him walk out of the room. Every strut in his step made every step look so sexy!

I giggled as I collapsed onto the kitchen island chair. My phone buzzed in my back pocket and I dug in to see a message from an unknown source. I frowned as I began reading the message.

_**Nice to see you're not at school and using your time to make out with your boyfriend? Now that's how a teenager should be, don't you think young hybrid?**_

My eyes widened.

What the heck?

How did they know…? Who was this creep?! Was this the same creep that sent me that message the other day at the auto shop?

My pulse suddenly increased and I hopped off the counter, running to the window and took a peak through the blinds.

Someone was watching me!

"Hey, kid." I heard Jacob call out for me from behind. I immediately spun around to see him buckling up his belt. "You good?"

I nodded my head. "Yeah! Um…I'm all good!"

Why couldn't I just tell him? Why did I have to lie and say I was good when I was definitely the complete opposite?!

Maybe there was something in me telling me to just shut up!

… …

Jacob and I waltzed into the Cullen House hand-in-hand. We made it to the living room where we could hear a bunch of giggles and a weird kind of happiness in the air.

"Hey, guys!" Jake exclaimed.

"Hey!" Bella, Alice, and Rosalie replied in unison as they were all congregated around a baby cradled in Rosalie's arms.

"Oh, look at him gurgle!" Rose was coaxed by the infant as she pulled the bottle of formula away from him.

"He's so freaking adorable!" Bella cooed.

"And the new outfit I got him just adds onto it! Uh…Thank you, Alice is an order!" Alice squealed, running her little fingers over the baby's creamy onesie, causing him to cough up a small giggle.

I smiled, glancing at Jacob who had his eyes rolled.

"All this baby stuff is not doing any justice to my manhood so I-I'm going to hang out with the boys." He informed.

"Okay!" Alice squeaked.

"Who cares? Go die if all I care, mutt!" Rosalie replied gruffly before she cooed at the baby.

Jake raised his eyebrows at me before heading off to wherever the guys were. I on the other hand, decided to hang out with the ladies dying from Carter's cuteness, however, I couldn't get past the heavy, fast paced heartbeat downstairs.

I glanced in between the crowded group of women to see the most adorable eyes look up at me. I smiled.

"For a day and a half old, your eyes sure are bright!" I mused.

"And he's a big one too!" Bella pointed out.

It was true. Only being essentially twenty to thirty hours old, he looked like a three-four day old –I assumed.

"Carlisle's running some tests on him because Carter's probably different from actually vampire hybrids –which should influence in his aging, abilities, mental capability etcetera." Bella added on. "He's pretty engrossed in him if you ask me."

"But it doesn't make him any less adorable whatsoever!" Rosalie stated, gently rubbing her nose against him –causing him to smile and nibble his tongue.

I laughed. I could see Rosalie was so engrossed in the whole motherly side quite quickly. I'm betting that ever since Esme brought him out, she's never set that baby down at all!

"I just realized something!" Alice squealed.

"You don't say?" Rosalie pointed out.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I think we should throw a baby shower for Lizzie when she wakes up."

The ladies all frowned.

"A baby shower?"

"Yeah! I mean we couldn't give her one because it was you know…all gloomy and all but she deserves one now! I know Bella, we couldn't give you but the circumstances didn't allow. I mean we had no idea what the thing was! Again, sorry Nessie!" She whispered.

"I think it's a great idea!" Esme replied with a smile as she stood beside us.

"Maybe Lizzie would like that." Bella smiled. "Don't you think so Rosalie?"

"Sure, it'll be fun." Rosalie replied indifferently.

I frowned.

"I better get started!" Alice stated, hopping off the sofa and running up the stairs and coming back with a folder in her grasp. She gasped and sighed.

"I can already see her face. She's so beautiful you guys!" She gushed.

I smiled slightly. I didn't know how to feel about Lizzie being one of us. I assume she wouldn't like it either but at least she'll get to see her baby.

"He seems to be enjoying that milk." I pointed out as I watched Carter sucking down the bottle as Rosalie fed him. His tiny hand had been holding her index finger ever so tightly. It was too cute for words.

"It's weird. He doesn't seem to be enjoying the blood. I mean, he'd drink it but never feels satisfied." Bella said.

"Which is also something Carlisle's been looking at trying to figure out," Esme added.

I nodded my head.

"I was thinking a whole gender reveal theme!" Alice –the pixie as Jake would call her – waved her hands in the air. "I mean we all know what the baby is but she didn't. So I was thinking when she wakes up, she'll be met with all these decorations everywhere that hint at the fact that it could be a boy but not actually giving it away. Maybe like having a yellow or white colored banner trailing throughout the house. And I was also thinking about having balloons everywhere, Emmett dressed in a bear outfit and Jasper in reindeer antlers –since it's her favorite animal! Weird I know." Alice ranted. "I was also thinking that when she pops up, we throw confetti in the air before presenting baby Carter to her in a cute stroller with a 'March 22nd' written on it, representing his birthday. Ugh! That will be so delightful; I can already see it –"

"Um…Alice? Don't you think that'll overwhelm her a little too much?" Bella said. "I mean, respect! Those are some really good ideas but she'll wake up feeling different and she'll be seeing the world in a whole new light. I think we don't want to shock her more." Bella said.

"Oh, I know." Alice nodded her head before groaning and rubbing her temples. "I have a headache!"

"Are you okay?" Esme asked concernedly.

"Yeah, it's just hard to see the future with Carter around." She said before shaking her head. "I think I'm going to Jasper."

She got up and jogged over to the theater room where I assumed the boys were.

"You've got to love Alice," Mom smiled as she turned to me. She frowned when she noticed I wasn't being myself. "Are you all right, sweetie?"

I didn't trust my words because I knew whatever came out would be a lie so I just nodded instead –which wasn't good either.

She didn't buy it one bit.

"Come with me," She mentioned as she got up and extended her hand out to me. I took it and my mother led the way.

We stopped by the open room downstairs where Lizzie's body had been placed. I gasped and spun around.

"I can't do this." I whispered to my mother.

"Yes, you can." She told me as she turned me around. "Come on," She said as she escorted me into the room filled light.

We halted and stared down at the lifeless body.

I shouldn't say lifeless because I could visibly see a change in her. She was dressed neatly in a beautiful creamy sundress and cardigan. Her body had regained some weight; it was as if her bones had been hidden through her skin again. Her hair had been straightened, grown in length and darkened to a dark coppery-brown color.

Her skin…

Her usual sandy skin was almost unrecognizable. It was slowly changing to that of my family's, a snowy skin tone.

"You see, she's fine. I understand you've been worried about her ever since Saturday but she'll be fine." She assured me.

I smiled slightly as I stared down at her face. Her eyes had been quivering and her lips were sealed shut.

"She's in pain." I told her. "Dad told me all that's going through her head is how much she's in pain. I mean, is that normal? Does she deserve all this pain?"

Mom shook her head.

"She's probably trying to shut the pain out. I did the same when I was turning. Look, sweetheart. She's going to be okay, in fact, she's going to be better than okay." She said to me.

I nodded my head and turned to my mother. She leaned in to kiss my forehead.

"I think I'm going to stay here for a bit."

She smiled before walking out of the room. I released a much needed sigh as I stared down at Lizzie's beautiful face.

"Please be okay, Lizzie." I urged. "We miss you. I miss you. Your baby can't wait to see you." I said to her.

I ran my hand over her semi-warm and cold hand before making my way out of the room.

As I was making my way to the theater room where I heard the boys laughing and indulged in conversation, I bumped into Nahuel in the hallway. I grinned.

"Hi!" I greeted enthusiastically.

I haven't been talking to him much these days. I could blame it on being at school, or at the other house or being with Jacob but recently, I've noticed he's been distant. I don't why but I'm determined to find out.

"Hello, Renesmee." He greeted kindly, however, I knew it was forced.

I smiled and moved my eyes over to the bag he had draped over his shoulder. I furrowed my brows.

"What is that bag for? You going camping?" I joked –ugh, I was terrible with those.

He glanced at it before looking at me. He pursed his lips together as his dark eyes gazed into mine.

I suddenly began feeling subconscious.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I'm leaving, Renesmee." He told me.

I widened my eyes.

"You're leaving?" He nodded. "Why?"

"I've fulfilled my purpose being here. Carlisle wanted me to help out with the baby and your friend, Elizabeth and now that it's over, I can go back." Nahuel told me.

I curved my lips and frowned.

"You don't seem surprised." He told me.

"I mean, I get that you came here to help but I thought you'd stick around a bit so we could probably catch up. It was fun having you around but we haven't hung out with each other which sucked. I mean I get that I've been caught up with school and stuff –" I laughed.

"It wasn't because of that." He mentioned. I deepened my frown.

I could hear some shuffling coming from the theater room and my dad uttering someone to sit down. I looked up at Nahuel who had this look I've seen on him for that past couple of days.

He sighed. "I didn't just come here to help Carlisle out. I came here to spend some time with you."

"I came here to know that there was a possibility…" He paused, sighing and shaking his head. "And seeing you with another man…I-I couldn't."

I could feel myself growing more and more confused yet the whole picture was clear. I just couldn't understand why it was clear.

"You're the reason I got this stupid haircut. You're the reason I came here and you're the reason I'm leaving." He stated.

I inhaled a deep breath.

"I, uh, I said goodbye to your family and I thought I'd leave you for last." He chuckled before taking a step closer to me. I refrained from taking a step back even if I wanted to.

"Take care, mi carina." He whispered to me, nodding his head before walking past me.

The minute I smelt his scent draw away from reach, I exhaled a breath I held in.

What the hell just happened?

Why would someone just drop a bombshell like that and just walk away? I should be fuming but instead I was just confused. I couldn't believe Nahuel; someone who I thought was just my friend had these feelings all this time.

How was I supposed to feel? Flattered? Uncomfortable? Angry?

I shook my head as I decided to just walk away.

My mind was preoccupied with Lizzie's transition to even think about anything right now. I was waiting on the hours, the minutes, the seconds I'd meet the new Lizzie. I wasn't prepared.

And over the next two days, I realized how unprepared I was when I heard the last thud of Lizzie's human heartbeat.

A new kind of heart was born.

… ….

**A/N: Poor Nahuel. Some of you might hate it, some of you might love it but that's how it is. Nahuel confessed his feelings and left Nessie gob-smacked. Don't worry guys, she's doesn't have feelings for him if that's what you're thinking but stay tuned to see what happens next…**

**Next chapter will contain tons of drama so get ready for the show! Charles' whole agenda will be clear as day to you all and you probably will not like him at all!**

**I've made a trailer based off this story called…well…"Dusk Horizon Twilight Fanfiction Trailer" on my YouTube channel 'Renesmee Theory'. You should all check it out and tell me what you think!**

**Link: watch?v=ci5zPllDilE **


	39. Chapter 39: Secrets and Mystery

**Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight, blah-di-blah, blah…**

**LIZZIE'S POV**

I should be dead. I am dead. This is how it feels to be dead, doesn't it? Pain! Pain! And more pain!

Did I really have to keep my thoughts though? If I am essentially dead, shouldn't everything else about me be well…dead?

Maybe this is what hell is like. Maybe God was so appalled by my actions that he shunned me away. Maybe I was meant to be burning in this pit of fire with all these voices screaming inside of my head. Maybe I deserved all this agony.

It's like all the terrible things had merged together. The memories may be the fuzziest thing on earth but they were still there. The Hornet nest I was introduced to when I was eight, breaking my neck at ten, my car accident at sixteen, my pneumonia at twenty…

My unbearable pregnancy at twenty-five…

It was as if all of those incidents got together and formed one big ball of agony. This is hell!

I couldn't scream because I know I'd never stop. I'd be burning for the rest of my unnatural undead life. I couldn't open my eyes because I knew I would be scarred and burned for the rest of my time as a corpse. I had nothing! I ceased to be! I ceased to exist.

John Keats poetry fits so well in this moment. I dream about all the things I missed in my past life. The adventures I should have embarked upon. Now, my only adventure is being a burning corpse.

It was despairing! The feeling of being electrocuted and burned at the same time couldn't compare to the feeling I currently held.

I heard the bones of someone cracking on my back. Heck! I could feel it. The person was me. And this feeling will be infinite!

My entire being had been immobile by the sheer terror of this inferno except for the tips of my fingers. Those insignificant little features were the ones I could actually feel.

I tried to lift one index finger –straining though since I was pretty sure the fire was burning me to ashes bit by bit – and that only ignited a pain so abysmal and so agonizing that I could feel my lips spread apart ever so slightly. I was about ready to scream.

I didn't care anymore! I needed to scream! I needed to just let it out and never have to scream again.

I just wish there wasn't anything holding me back but that's the cliché part. There was something holding me back.

I could hear voices –and not the screams in my head – but actual voices.

"Look at her." Someone familiar whispered warmly in somewhat of a motherly tone.

"She's had a rough night." I hear a soft, calm voice reply.

Had all of this been in a night? Why did it feel like centuries? Millenniums even?

These voices felt so close, like they'd been echoing from right across the room, maybe even closer. However, there were voices I heard coming from somewhere further down, maybe a downstairs living room.

"I still don't understand what made you do that?" A voice retorted calmly.

"I thought I was doing the right thing!" A beautiful rose-y voice fired back.

"By going against everything you believed in! Yeah! Okay," A masculine voice stated –which you'd swear should've actually been funny.

"Our children are bickering again." The warming voice suddenly spoke.

"They will get through their issues, I know just as much. They're in panic, I can imagine but I know this will pass." The male replied. "How is the baby holding up, love?"

The baby…

The baby?

Of course! The baby! The reason I am in this very position. The reason I decided to take my own life. It was for that baby I've been envisioning ever since I found out.

Did the baby survive? Did my little Autumn or Carter make it through all of this? The baby should not be burning with me. It should not be down with me for all eternity. It doesn't deserve this.

All I wanted was to know that he/she is okay!

"The breathing was an issue but nonetheless…the baby's perfect." Esme, I assumed replied.

If I could sigh in relief, I would've but that would only make me scream. So I just screamed and sighed in my head. It helped for a little while.

The next thing I heard was a steamer go off in the kitchen and then the TV being flipped onto CNN. I counted all the words the news anchor had uttered out. Two thousand, seven hundred and forty-six –a segment all about the deaths that occurred in the past few months. Then someone switched it over to a NFL game. I recognized the commentary. It was a rerun of the Superbowl.

Then I heard a microwave go off from the kitchen the smell of a lingering scent went up my nostrils which just tingled my burning sensation. I heard a tiny, infantile cry coming from downstairs and the most beautiful voice singing to it.

This made my fiery beating heart jump.

The next thing I heard wasn't in the house –since I realized that the hell wasn't a hell after all yet I didn't understand why but if it meant tuning out the electro-shock/burning torture, I'll take it.

I could hear panting coming from a woodsy scented area. I could hear and feel the pitter-patter of feet jogging on the leave-infested ground. I could hear some country-pop music coming from a device, probably The Band Perry? Echosmith? I wouldn't know.

Next, I heard the piercing sound of a car hooting, blasting some rock music and then I heard a crash which involuntarily caused me to twitch –only igniting an even sharper pain down to my legs.

I could now feel my arms again. I was slowly –and forever painfully – regaining my feeling again and the fire in hell wasn't so clear in my head again. I could feel and hear my head beating heavily like drums and chiming like tambourines.

"She's so beautiful." I could hear a voice so ring-y that I could only put together as Bella's. "She's almost ready to see her baby."

"I know, love." I heard her husband reply.

I'm not ready for anything? Why would I be ready? I'm dying!

Or maybe this is all just a dream or an illusion. It's a tool to get my hopes up that I will get to see life again, to see my baby Autumn or Carter again.

I keep changing. One minute I see a beautiful girl with gorgeous blue-green eyes and my hair. Her skin was so perfect that it reminded me of the windy woods in fall season.

Another minute, I see the boy who reminded me so much of his father –not the horrible side but the appearance. He had beautiful dusky hair that even a raven would be offended by and striking blue eyes that would have the meadow smiling.

I could feel the excitement coursing through my veins –but I was lying. It wasn't the excitement. It was the blood I could feel being drained out of me. This caused my throat to rumble and grumble and fight and tighten!

My fast-paced heart that reminded me of a treadmill or washing machine suddenly began slowing down to a steady rhythm. It was first beating like a running hamster wheel, then to a spinning top, and then to a beeping alarm and finally to a soft, thud of broken down record player or sound system.

It was in that moment when the burning in my throat intensified, my heart hit its final beat.

And everything just went silent.

The voices in my head just vanished and the electrocution stopped. I could feel my body again. I must either be dead or alive.

There's only one way to find out.

I slowly fluttered my eyes open to see a big bright light blinding my eyesight. Is this what heaven is like? Is it really what I envisioned?

However, the light began dimming away and I was met with a clear, spotless, cream painted ceiling. Everything was so clear to me now. I could see dust particles floating in the air.

I never had a great eyesight, heck, I had reading glasses for crying out loud so seeing so much light and seeing everything so perfectly was a shocker to me. I'm in another universe, aren't I?

I lifted myself off the bed. I looked down to see that I was fully dressed in a creamy sundress and light cardigan with flats.

I tried blinking because I've been open-eyed for more than forty seconds; however I realized how useless that was. I didn't need to blink just as much as I didn't need to breathe in the wonderful air.

What was happening?

"Good morning, Lizzie." I heard a male voice awaken me from my panic. I darted my head to see Carlisle standing in the corner of the room with his family close behind him.

I tried to gasp out but what came out was emptiness. I heard a bunch of voices coming from the butchery three miles from here. I could hear kids laughing and riding on their bikes down the neighborhood. The sound of a colony of ants marching out of their hill was a shocker to me.

"I know this is disorientating but you're okay, Lizzie. There's nothing to be afraid of." Edward urged.

"W-what's happening to me?" I demanded in a monotone but I was shocked at how powerful it sounded.

"Your transition," Bella, the beautiful vampire said to me. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"My transition?" I whispered inaudibly. I narrowed my eyes at everyone in the room.

Jasper and Edward were keeping their firm stance in front of their wives Alice and Bella whilst Emmett stood protectively beside everyone with a firm look on his face.

Were they afraid of me? Was I dangerous?

"Lizzie, it's okay." Edward murmured to me as he took a step closer to me. I immediately took three steps back but it turned out to be a pounce and I found myself hitting the wall.

Burn.

My throat was itchy. It was as if someone was scrubbing me with a rock and causing a friction. It was bugging me and I couldn't stop it.

I tried gulping in some salvia however I realized how pointless that was because nothing budged.

"Lizzie, there's no need to fret. You're okay now." Bella urged as she stood beside her husband.

I noticed a weird aura radiating off of her, it was engulfing each member of the family and I knew it was of benefit to them and not to me.

"What the hell is happening to me?!" My siren voice retorted in absolute terror. I didn't need any of them to confirm what was currently happening to me.

I was a vampire. I was one of them.

"Lizzie." I heard the voice of the woman who helped me out throughout this whole ordeal. I darted my head to the side frantically to see Rosalie's absolutely gorgeous face. "Hey, it's me. Rose."

"Rose!" I gasped out in relief. I wanted to run into her arms but I was too afraid that I'd hurt someone.

"Don't be scared. We're here to help you." She assured me in a calming tone. I frowned. "You're not dangerous."

I didn't believe her.

"Look…" She told me as she got down to her knees and slid a hand mirror over to my feet.

I stared down at it in hesitance when I caught the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I could see an image of a breathtaking creature with a skin like clouds, a chiseled face of something out of a sculpture magazine. Her straightened hair was so long, silky, and lustrous that I wanted to grab in and touch it.

It's me.

Is that really me?

I reluctantly bent down to grab the mirror and held it close to my face. That's when I noticed every facet of my new features. I was flawless, and not in a cocky way but in actual reality. I had no blemish whatsoever.

I ran my hand over my cheek and was shocked at how hard and smooth it felt but then it was replaced when I saw my eyes.

My shockingly different eyes.

They were burgundy with a tint of tawny in the streaks. I was scary even behind all the beauty. I shook my head.

No! This is not real. I'm not a vampire. I can't be!

"Why did this happen?" I whispered to myself. "Why did you guys do this to me?!"

I didn't want this! I should be dead! I was perfectly fine dying! Not being an undead creature!

"We had no other choice." Rose said sadly.

"You could have left me to die!" I growled because the pain in my throat was becoming absolutely unbearable.

"Calm down, Elizabeth…" Jasper murmured as he raised his hands up. Suddenly, I felt my anger evaporating into thin air.

"What do you remember?" Edward asked me.

I frowned as I tried reverting back to before the burning started. I remember vaguely, Carlisle giving me an epidural, talking to Rose before everything went blank. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Nothing much," I murmured faintly.

"You went into a spiral after the epidural so in order to save the baby and you we had to deliver earlier than we planned. There were complications –" Carlisle pointed out.

Complications? What complications? Did my baby not survive the birth? What am I doing alive if the one thing I was trying to keep alive wasn't anymore?

"No. No. The baby's fine…_He's_ absolutely perfect." Edward chuckled at the thought.

I heard a high-pitched gasp and a very small lady appeared from behind Jasper, the broken looking man.

"Edward! Why did you give it all away! Guh! I hate you." Alice groaned as she crossed her arms stubbornly.

He? Carter James? Was my baby the boy I pictured in my head if it wasn't a girl? Was he the boy that reminded me so much of a meadow in the forest? Was he alive?!

All questions pointed to yes at some of the smiling faces.

"Your son is all right. He's a really happy baby and he cannot wait to see you." Bella pointed out with a smile.

"But first…" Jasper suddenly said. "How do you feel?"

I tried to speak but the scorch-y throat was hard to bypass. I threw my hand over my throat and gulped in deeply.

"I think she just answered your question." Emmett grinned mischievously. "This should be good…"

"She's thirsty." Bella looked up at Edward.

"She needs to hunt." Edward nodded his head, flashing a small smile.

I looked at everyone with crazy-eyes. I'm not ready to hunt! Heck! I wasn't even ready to be a vampire!

"Everything will be okay."

I could hear three heartbeats coming from downstairs and the scent of blood coursing through veins. I breathed in deeply.

"Jacob. Get Nessie and Carter out of the living room."

No! Why? I wanted to see my child for the first time, to hold him in my arms and to see my friend again.

But I realized that I was lethal and nobody should come near to me.

"Come on," Bella extended her hand out to me. I looked down to see the pale hand almost identical to mine, maybe even lighter.

I took it reluctantly and I was shocked at how warm it was. It wasn't the cold hand I held before.

She walked to the glass doors of the room, sliding them open until we reached the balcony. She hopped onto the edge.

"What are you doing?" I demanded in shock.

"Come on, you'll love it!"

I turned around to see the boys making their way over to us. They smiled reassuringly to me. I inhaled unnecessary and followed Bella's tail.

"Okay, now close your eyes and just let go. Don't forget to bend your knees." She told me.

I obliged and before I knew it, I found myself off surface area and my hair being blown away as I descended to the ground.

My feet touched the ground fiercely.

I fluttered my eyes to see the grass being damaged by my feet. I widened my eyes and darted my head up to see I fell off the three story mansion. The boys soon followed closely behind.

"Are you ready?" Bella asked me.

I looked at her and nodded my head with a nervous smile. She began charging into the forest so fast I didn't even have time to blink –weird.

"Come on, newbie! You've gotta keep up!" Emmett laughed as he and the others ran inhumanly behind her tail.

I found myself forming a smile before I began running, or should I say gliding since it felt like I wasn't even touching the ground. I could feel the spring wind blowing through my lustrous hair as I sped through the oak tree teeming forest. It was dawn and the sun was shining so bright. I noticed my skin glisten like diamonds at the ray of the sun. I smiled and noticed the others had the same effect. It was magnificent.

I glanced at the ground to see my feet running over the soft grass, I darted my eyes to the side to see a woodpecker pecking the barks of the tree. I widened my eyes as I charged forward, finding myself hopping off every rock in sight.

My newly profound reflexes shocked me just as much as everything else about being a newborn. I could sense that we were all a couple hundred yards from the house yet I could still smell the honey-lilac scent, the musky, woodsy scent and the orchid, meadow-y, fiery scent that I liked most back at the house.

I was now focused on my run and I could see a gigantic tree up ahead. I widened my eyes and parted my lips as I was unprepared for the sudden impact. I shut my eyes as I braced myself and after a short while, I peeped one eye open.

I was still running.

I glanced back to see I had completely run down a tree. It was so ethereal. I was ethereal now!

I sniffed the air when a new scent came in contact with my nose. It was animalistic but not ferocious, it was timid and gentle.

"You guys smell that?" Edward chuckled.

"Oh, I smell it!" Bella laughed.

"Ahh! Bon appétit!" Emmett laughed as he charged forward. "Try catching up to me little girl." He winked at me as he ran past me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Bella and Edward told me a story about how vampires are always their best when they're newborns. Their speed, agility, hearing, eyesight had all been heightened.

Maybe I was the fastest in the house now?

I guess I'll have to see.

I picked up the pace and true enough, I surpassed everyone. I reached Emmett and grinned.

"Try keeping up big boy!" I teased as I ran past him, leaving him absolutely beaten. I laughed as I ran over the rocky surface. We reached the mountains of the clearing.

This was so exhilarating. I may have not wanted this for myself. I may be angry that I was brought to this kind of life but the feeling of being able to do things no human can even muster brings me a weird kind of joy.

"Stop!" I heard Jasper call to us. This caused me to halt in my tracks. "Shh…" He murmured to all of us as he motioned to the five deer that congregated together.

"Be quiet…" Jasper added. He told me how to prepare to hunt for my prey; how I need to be extra quiet so I didn't give up that I'm going to attack.

And sooner or later, we all had our targets. I watched the way Bella fed and the way Edward and Emmett fed. They were three completely different things yet they were pursuing the same goal. Blood…

Edward hunted with ease. It was if he had been a natural. His quick reflexes were no match for the deer.

Emmett showed no mercy when he fed. He broke the deer's neck and only then did he feed.

Bella on the other hand, I heard once in her human lifetime she had been a clumsy one. I found myself pouncing onto one of the deer, only to miss it. I snarled as I got up and charged for it.

"Wait!" Jasper called as he pressed his hand on my shoulder. "You scared it off!"

"I don't care! I just want to get my hands around its neck, feel its bones crushed between my hands." I growled viciously.

His eyes widened as he glanced at Edward in terror. He turned back to me and placed both his hands on my shoulders.

"Okay. Calm down okay. There's always the next herd. You just need a little more practice." Jasper said and immediately I calmed down. I exhaled a deep breath –despite not needing it – and nodded my head.

"Hey, you can have mine." Emmett mentioned as he held the deer out to me. I glance at it before snatching it from his grasp and immediately digging my teeth into its open neck.

I inhaled all the blood that coursed through its body. It wasn't the metallic substance I thought was disgusting before, no. It was the most blissful thing ever. It tasted like how spaghetti bolognaise would taste like to a human. It was fantastic.

It was euphoric!

After draining out all its blood, I gasped out in relief. I could tell my mouth was covered my mouth like how Sloppy Joe would do to you but I didn't care. The only thing I could care about was the blood racing down my throat and the burning sensation slowly fading away.

"How is it?" Bella asked me in anticipation.

I smiled, shaking my head. I couldn't find the words to describe how good it feels but it just wasn't enough….something about it wasn't enough for me.

"Good…" I simply replied with a chuckle as I dropped the deer and wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my cardigan.

"So…" I muttered as I looked up at everybody. "What's next on the menu?"

Emmett and Bella laughed whilst Edward and Jasper gave me a look I just ignored.

This is so exhilarating! This is what I want.

This is what I need…

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I could tell the conversation upstairs was really riveting if it had almost my entire family sent up there except for Jacob, Carter, my grandmother and I.

Yes! I think I know why. My biology teacher/friend had just awakened from her transition. Rose went up to the room when Lizzie started panicking and this only put my worry-meter on high! I knew she'd be angry at us for changing her, she even said it herself.

She didn't want this kind of life.

And to make matters worse, I couldn't stop thinking about what Nahuel said to me before he left. I was the reason why he came here? I mean, I don't think that makes any sense, does it? I know we're friends and all but I thought that was the only thing connecting us –and the fact that he's the only other vampire hybrid I knew.

I shook my head. I wasn't going to let this get to me. He left and that's how it should be.

"This is not good." I muttered as I waited impatiently on the couch. Jake had his warm, gentle fingers trailing up and down my arm and his lips on my shoulder for comfort. It helped immensely because if he wasn't around, I'd probably break.

I glanced over to Esme who had been cradling a sleeping baby Carter in her motherly arms. He yawned so animatedly that I couldn't help the smile forming on my face but it wasn't enough to keep it there for longer.

I could hear my mother, father, Jasper and Rosalie trying to calm her down.

"I can't sit here. I have to do something." I said as I tried sitting up but it proved to be a hassle in Jacob's firm, strong grasp.

"No. You don't." He told me. "Your family's got it covered. There's a newborn vampire up there and you're half human. I don't want anything to happen to you." He stated.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "I can take care of myself."

"Not when there's a newborn vampire out for blood." He said sternly.

I rolled my eyes and sighed as I stayed put in his arms.

"Nessie, I think it's best if you go to school. Aren't you going to be late?" Esme asked me.

"I'm not going until I see Lizzie again and know that she's okay." I replied.

My father told Jacob to get us out of the living room since they were about to hunt with Lizzie.

He moved us to the second floor to the room where I did my art and taught my family how to draw. I ran over to the window to see the group laughing and charging to the woods. Lizzie seemed nervous yet she seemed quite excited. They were all hunting together because I guess there was safety in numbers, not only were they trying to be on high alert for danger but apparently there was incident almost eight years ago when my mother first turned and my father hated himself for it.

I exhaled a heavy breath.

We waited for almost an hour for the others to come back. Rosalie had been feeding a fully awaken Carter up in his room whilst Alice was throwing out the trash. They should be done with the hunt by now right?

"They'll be here in a second." Jake said after reading the message and slipped his phone into his pocket.

And true enough, I could hear some small talk coming from outside. I ran over to the living room windows and took a peak through the drapes to see my father and my mother talking to Lizzie whilst Jasper listened in and Emmett raved on about being the top hunter of the vampire universe.

I turned to my grandmother and Jake before turning back to my family who were making their way to the backdoors.

Soon enough, I could hear voices entering the house. Jacob suddenly jogged over to me and stood in front of me in a protective stance. I frowned, looking up to my mate.

Jasper and Emmett were the first to make an appearance and my father and mother followed soon after –with Lizzie closely beside them.

My breathing hitched when I saw the new vampire.

She was so breathtaking in her immortal beauty. She was almost unrecognizable. I couldn't believe it.

"Renesmee," I heard her raspy, siren-y voice say to me. I watched her grip the fabric of her sundress tightly.

I scoffed. "Lizzie," I gasped as I gripped onto Jacob's strapping arm. He was unmovable as he stood sternly onto the floor, in front of me and holding me back by holding me by the hip.

His face was indifferent and I didn't understand why.

"Oh my luck of the Irish, you are so beautiful!" Alice mused, her jaw dropped to the ground. She squealed as she tried taking a step forward but Jasper quickly stopped her by standing in front of her.

This act caused Lizzie to flinch and breathe heavily, her face rattled.

"Guys, calm down. She's fine." Bella stated, shaking her head.

"Just being cautious, Bella." Jake mentioned hardheartedly as he gave Lizzie a long survey.

"Fine! So then stop it!" Bella snarled. Jake frowned. "You okay?" She asked Lizzie who reluctantly nodded her head. I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

"How do you feel?" Carlisle asked as he walked up to her.

"Um…okay, I think." She said, unsure of herself as she looked at all the panicked glares.

"How does Jacob smell to you? Does he smell different from the animal you fed on?" Carlisle asked.

Lizzie frowned as she stared at Jake who was breathing in deeply.

"I can smell his blood. It's a mixture of a human and an animal, but more on the latter. He smells horrible, like cold, wet, slobber." She said, scrunching her nose. I could hear a few chuckles from the family.

"He's a dog, what do you expect girl?" Emmett laughed.

"And Nessie?"

"I-I…" Lizzie stammered.

"Don't be afraid. Be honest, my child." Carlisle urged.

"I can smell her human scent, it's appetizing and alluring. I can feel the blood coursing through her veins but…I can tell she's different. I think that hinders the burn in my throat." She stated as she gulped in some air, gripping her dress ever so tightly.

_What if she has mom's self-control?_ I asked my father in my head. He shrugged in return.

"We'll have to see." He mouthed back. I sighed.

Carlisle nodded his head.

"How did the hunt go?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"It was a little bit rusty in the beginning, but it went well nonetheless. We hunted enough to keep things _**neutral.**_" He joked about that last part, but I guess we all took his word for it.

"Are you ready to meet your son?" Esme probed in anticipation.

Lizzie, not trusting her voice, nodded her head in reply. My grandfather called for Rosalie to come down and in a matter of seconds, Rosalie began descending the staircase before emerging with a pale blue bundle in her grasp. She carried the brightest smile ever as she stared at Lizzie.

"Lizzie," She smiled.

Lizzie widened her eyes. I noticed her cringe at every step Rose took closer to her.

Rose reached her and Lizzie clutched my mother's arm. Carter's arms were squirming through the blankets and my aunt lifted him up so he had his back against her chest.

I haven't seen that many babies in my life but I could tell that he wasn't what a three day old should be. He looked to be maybe a week and a half old now.

Was I like that when I was a three days old?

"Way older looking," My father smiled at me.

Oh! Great!

"Meet Carter James, Carter James, meet your mommy." Rose said as she reluctantly handed the baby to Lizzie who just as tentatively cradled him in her arm.

Carter squeaked lightly as his tiny hand grabbed hold of the V-neck part of her cardigan. This caused Lizzie to shift in amazement.

"He's so beautiful." Lizzie gasped as she stared at her striking amber-blue eyed baby boy. The baby bounced a little in her grasp and made a gurgling, buzzing noise which made us all laugh.

"His eyes are so bright and he smiles…how long was I out?" Lizzie asked.

"Three days." Bella replied with a knowing smile. Lizzie's eyes bulged as she turned her head back to her son.

Her vampire state was unmovable, she didn't even move an inch as she just mesmerized at her son.

She looked so in control of the situation that I was even surprised to see people soften up. I grinned. This was way better than what I'd expected.

But I actually _thought_ too soon because in just a matter of a minute, Carter released a loud cry of distress and this ignited a fury inside of her as her eyes were set on the vein popping through Carter's neck.

"I can't do this," She cried as I noticed her fangs starting to show. "Take him away from me." She growled as she shoved the baby to Rosalie who took him from her.

"Lizzie," Carlisle urged, his eyes bulged.

It was as if this sudden change in her caused Jake to be even more protective. He shoved me completely behind him and I could feel his pulse picking up.

He was going to phase!

"Renesmee, go to school." My father growled.

"Dad?!" I called as I watched the women lead Lizzie to another room and the men presuming a shielding stance to block away any potential outbreak.

"Jacob! Take her to school now!"

Jacob quickly grabbed my hand and ran out of the door with me following closely behind him.

We hopped into his bike and drove off to the OWHS. In five minutes, he reached the school and pulled up the sidewalk. He shoved his helmet off and turned to me as I did the same.

"You okay?" He asked me.

I nodded my head, glancing at the kids walking into the building.

"Please call me as soon as you get back home. Okay?" I pleaded. He nodded his head.

"I'll be right here when school's out." He assured me. I nodded as I got off the bike. "I love you," He told me.

"You too," I said, leaning in to peck his lips gently before draping my bag onto my shoulder.

I turned around and began walking up to the school grounds. I glanced to see Jake shoving his helmet on, kicking the stand and riding off. I sighed.

How will I get through the day?

… …

I actually managed to get through the day –barely – and I was now making way to the parking lot when I heard my best friend Felicity Stone calling out to me. I turned around to see all three of my friends making their way to me.

"Where have you been? You skipped school yesterday and you've been avoiding us all day." Felicity pointed out.

"Do we lackluster to you now?" Alex teased.

"No." I chuckled, shaking my head reassuringly. "I've just got a lot on my mind but it has nothing to do with you girls, I promise."

Rea narrowed her eyes to the rest of the girls knowingly and they both frowned in confusion.

"Okay, well, I think we should all hang out. Anyone up for the local library anyone?" Felicity grinned.

"Really, more books?" Alex groaned. I noticed that she wasn't her usual self today. "But there's that Froyo shop next to it so I'm in."

"I actually have a ride with J –" I stopped myself mid-sentence, realizing I was about to give something away. "You know what? I think that'll be fun."

"Great! Let's go!" Felicity squealed and we all made our way over to her car.

… …

We reached the old, local library/bookshop down at Oak, Springham Avenue in thirty minutes. The girls and I currently walked into the small library with the bell ringing as we closed the door. _Pumped Kicks_ had been playing in the background of the dark, mahogany library.

I pulled my phone out and decided to give Jake a text.

**No need to pick me up! Out with friends…Keep me posted on any updates on Lizzie, please? I hope she's okay.**

**Nessie **

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and smiled at Alex. She and I walked into one of the aisles of books whilst Felicity went to another and Rea snapping pictures with her large camera. Oh right, she was a photo-geek apparently.

"So…" Alex hummed as she ran her fingers over the long chronologically placed line of literature. "You and Jake huh?"

"What about me and Jake?" I chuckled casually.

"How long have you guys known each other?" She asked me.

"I've known him all my life, I guess." I told her truthfully.

"So he's like a brother to you?"

"I wouldn't say that." I told her.

"So he's more than a brother to you?" She questioned, eying me carefully. I glanced at her.

"Why the interrogation, Officer Alex?" I teased.

She shrugged. "Not interrogating. I just know this girl who had liked this guy forever yet she didn't know it because she thought they were just friends. Anyway, the guy was a bit older than she was and I'm pretty sure she thought he wouldn't feel the same way. Long story short, she and the guy started dating and for a while, she kept this secret from her friends who had to find out over social media that their best friend was with someone. How do you handle such a situation? That someone you thought was your best friend kept this secret for such a long time!" She stated.

Oh my god! I was sure she was on to me. She's definitely onto me! You know what? All I need to do is be calm and she won't know a thing!

"I don't know what to say to that." I giggled.

She gasped. "I knew it! You just lied to me!"

I darted my head at her in confusion.

"What?"

"You're lying. I know you're dating Jake!" She pointed out. "And you know how I know? I know because Felicity knew from the people who knew that you were dating someone after you broke up with my brother whom nobody knew about but now they know because they know you're dating someone else which I know now!" She ranted on, frowning slightly as she reiterated her words.

I furrowed my eyebrows at the structure of that sentence. What?

However, I understood exactly what she was trying to say.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was just afraid that you'd hate me for it. I thought you'd hate me for breaking up with your brother and dated someone new." I told her.

She chuckled. "Why would I hate you for finding love? Who cares about my stupid brother! It's his lost but now you're someone else's treasure. I knew there was something up with you and Jake that I didn't think was only just friends." She laughed.

"So, you're not mad?"

"Of course not!" She stated as she draped her arm around my shoulder. "Listen, love is love and you can't fight it. I found it and if someone else can find it, why could I dispute that?"

I grinned. "Oh, you and Seth are serious?" I cooed. She grinned and shrugged.

Ugh! Cuteness!

I laughed as I gave her a hug.

"Now, let's see what's readable in this dump." She commented.

I laughed as I turned to the book shelves. I ran my fingers over the books until I stopped when I came across something rather interesting.

"Beasts and Demons – The Supernatural Book of Wonders?" I said with a frown as I pulled the book from the shelf. That was a weird title.

"Written by Tom Greene…" I hummed as I checked the back of the book. "If all the myths and legends were true, what would we call them? Where would we find them?" The book read.

I flipped the cover to see the title written in black and red italics. I've never heard of this book but apparently it was a _No.1 New York Times Bestseller._

If it's a bestseller it must be good.

But then my smile fell when I caught the sight of a demon, a dark angel ascending into a ring of fire with a pile of blood-drenched bodies reaching out to him, some of them dead. It was quite disorientating and hard to look at.

This sparked a memory in my head.

I kept seeing Charles' face when I was holding this particular book. Images of his charming face, his cunning expressions were all in my head and then in the very last image, I saw his face in the book cover. I saw the book cover come to life in my mind and Charles was in the center of it all.

I gasped out.

"You okay?" Alex asked me.

I turned to her and nodded my head.

"Yeah, uh…" I paused. "I think I'm going to take this book." I told her. I spun on my heel and walked over to the bookkeeper.

"Hi." I greeted with a smile. "I'd like to buy this book, please?"

The old lady smiled as I handed the book to her. Her grin fell as she held the book and she looked at me carefully.

"Are you sure, my dear?" She whispered. I nodded my head.

She furrowed her brows before reluctantly scanning in the book. I gave her the $25.99.

"You guys ready to go?" Felicity called as she picked out her choice of romance novels, non-fiction technical books and encyclopedias. I nodded my head as I shoved the book into my back. She cashed in her books before we all headed out.

"Rea, stop taking pictures and let's go!" Felicity called.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Rea replied as she snapped a few more shots before running out of the shop.

… …

Felicity and I made it to her house after she dropped off the girls. I was currently reading the Preface of the book I got when we walked into the house.

"Afternoon, grams!" Felicity greeted the elderly lady drinking coffee by the piano. I looked up to see the woman turning around to face out.

I gasped slightly. She was beautiful, even behind her aging wrinkles. She reminded me so much of an older, wiser Felicity in her appearance. She had the same hair, but it was a bit darker and her eyes were identical to Felicity's too.

But that wasn't the thing that made me gasp. It was the huge scar across her face. It reminded me of Emily Young's scar yet it was so different.

Her mouth agape slightly as she set her coffee on the piano. She widened her eyes when she saw me and shot up from her seat, making her way towards us. Her gaze made me uncomfortable. It was as if she knew exactly who I was but I didn't know who the heck she was.

"_Leliciquanta,_" She muttered in absolute shock as she grabbed hold of my hands. She released a heavy wheeze.

I widened my eyes.

What is happening?

"No. Grams, this is Renesmee. My friend I told you about." Felicity replied.

"Oh…" Her grandmother let go of my hands. "I'm sorry, it's just…you look so much like her."

I chuckled nervously. Uh…who?

"It's okay." I said nervously.

"We'll be up in my room if you need us." Felicity murmured quickly as she pushed me out of the room quickly. "Sorry about her. She's a little kuku."

I chuckled. No kidding…

… …

I was walking down the Oakland Woods neighborhood after my study session with Felicity. It's always great hanging out with Felicity. Her outrageous, yet intelligent and somehow youthful comments just lighten up anybody's mood.

Felicity's grandmother stopped being weird after our encounter –thankfully – but I kept wondering what she called me. Did I look like someone she knew? I was told I looked very much like my dad, to the point that people mistaken us as twins but I never met anyone that looked exactly like me.

I shook my head. Felicity didn't live far from my house so I decided I'd walk back home.

When I entered the small pathway through the woods that lead to my house, I had a familiar feeling course through me. I felt like I was being followed. After everything, my paranoia had been on overdrive. I decided to speed up my walk.

"No need to run, kid." I heard a voice come from in front of me. I gasped to see a man standing a yard away from me with his hands tucked into his pockets. If I hadn't noticed his skin and his eyes, I wouldn't swear he was a vampire but sadly I knew exactly what he was.

"Who are you?" I asked.

In a blinding flash, he was suddenly in front of me, grinning ever so cunningly. I inhaled deeply.

"I was sent by Charles. I'm guessing you know him right?" He asked. I didn't reply. "And you must be Renesmee Cullen?"

"Who are you?" I reiterated firmly.

"He says you're quite the clever one. He tells me that I shouldn't underestimate a mere hybrid like you's capability. But I don't see it. You seem like a helpless little girl who's so vulnerable that she needs her family to buy here out." He chuckled sinisterly as he paced around me. "I just wish I could sink my teeth into that pretty little neck of yours." He mentioned as he ran his hand through my hair. I inhaled deeply.

"But I came for one business and one business only." He said as he faced me. He stared deep into my eyes and suddenly, I couldn't look away.

"Charles Ainsworth is coming for what he wants and he'll get it. Give your little family a heads up while you're on it and you're gonna forget everything that happened tonight. You're going to forget that you ever met me, or that I constrained you. All you'll know is that there's a danger ahead…and if you don't cooperate, things won't go right. Be a pretty little good girl and send this message along will ya?" He grinned before snapping his fingers.

Just then, I watched his neck snap with razor sharp teeth and his head decapitated instantaneously. I widened my eyes, covering my mouth in shock. His body fell to the ground and I looked to see a man panting as he stared at me. He looked so familiar, like I've seen him before.

And then it hit me. He was the man I met all those months ago at the party. The man Justin claimed wasn't his friend.

It was Ray Parker!

"You okay?" He asked me.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I think…" I replied. "Who was he?" I asked in confusion as I gestured to the guy on the ground.

Something just happened but I couldn't put my finger on it. It felt as if I was told something extremely important yet I didn't know what the thing was.

Ray Parker gave me a weird look before he literally just vanished.

I blinked, frowning.

What the hell is happening?

… …

**A/N: Whoa! Probably the longest chapter I've ever written. I'm sorry guys but the reason I'm writing long chapters is that I want this story to get going. My goal is to hit 50 chapters by the end of the story.**

**And guys, I'm done with the story! It's going to be a douser you guys! **

**So yeah, there you have it! I hope you guys know where I'm going with this. And I hope you're all enjoying it so far.**

**So Charles is the enemy here. What is he after? **

**What do you think of Lizzie as a vampire? Will she be able to stay in control and be like the Cullen's? Or will she break?**

**What about the spooky things happening to Renesmee? Will that mean imminent danger for not only her but to her friends and family?**

**Stay tuned to find out what happens next!**


	40. Chapter 40: First Encounter

**Third Person**

Josh Walcott. A blind man, both emotionally and physically. But mentally, he's probably some prodigy that could give Einstein a run for his dead money. The only sad part is that nobody would give him a chance to explore his capabilities. The world will eat him up and regurgitate him out like some rotten sack of potatoes. He's heard it all before.

'_Your life is over before even beginning' 'You won't make it in life as a blind man!' 'Rather leave this earth now, kid. There's no room for people like you,'_

The last one was infamously quoted by his bastard of a father.

Over the years, he believed them and he's just waiting for that moment he'd be taken away for good.

After walking out of the crazy bar one night, he stretched out his walking stick and followed the trail that led him wherever he needed to go. He could tell as he walked through the alley that he wasn't alone.

One good thing about being blind is you're open to all your other senses. He halted.

"I know someone's there." He stated. He shoved his walking stick in and placed his fists together.

"No need to do that." A voice reached his ears coming from behind him. Josh spun around. "It's sad isn't it?"

He turned around, following the voice.

"Spending half your life not being able to see must be rough," The male voice mentioned. "It's depressing actually. And I bet you've been wondering, how it's like to see the sun again. How it's like to see the world again."

"Wouldn't you like that, Josh?" The masculine, menacing voice whispered as Josh felt him come closer. He didn't reply.

"I can offer that to you." The sinister man replied. "All you've got to say is 'yes'…"

It took Josh a while to process what was happening. He couldn't even remember his reply because what happened next caused everything to go completely blank.

No pun intended…

…. …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

I ran into the Cullen mansion to the sound of people talking and laughing with each other.

"Lizzie, you're doing great." Rosalie's voice ringed throughout the room.

"You think?" Lizzie giggled in reply as I heard an infantile gurgle –I'm assuming belonged to Carter.

I slammed the door behind me. I was panting heavily, still reeling over what just happened –if I ever figure out what the heck just happened.

I ran into the living where I found everyone congregated. The women stood on one side whilst the men chatted on the other. My father's head jotted towards me and his grin fell.

"Nessie?" He questioned in panic.

"Guys! I think we have a problem." I exclaimed in panic as I felt the crack in my voice creeping up like a mugger.

"Honey, what's going on?" My mother said as she began making her way over to me. I sighed and shook my head.

"I-I-I don't know what happened but something did! It just happened so fast, I-I didn't know what to do!" I cried out as I ran my fingers through my long hair.

"Slow down, okay. Breathe okay and start from the beginning." My father urged, the minute Jake stood up and eyed me with eyes filled with panic.

I inhaled a deep breath before exhaling it out.

"I was walking home from Felicity's house when I felt like I was being followed. I was in the woods –"

"In the woods? Nessie, what the hell were you doing out in the woods?" My father demanded. He snuck a glare at Jacob. "You were supposed to pick her up from school!"

"Edward…" My mother whispered firmly. I glanced over to Jake, watching his guilt face creeping up on him. It literally broke my heart.

"Dad, it wasn't Jake's fault! That doesn't even matter, what matters is…I think someone's out to get us! Someone's coming for us." I confirmed.

Everyone showcased identical frowns.

"What do you mean?" Jasper pointed out.

"I think I came across a vampire in the woods."

"You think?" Jacob questioned. "Nessie, why couldn't you tell me to pick you up?"

"I didn't think it was necessary because Felicity lives close by." I told him.

"You thought you came across a vampire? How is that possible? It's either you did or you didn't." Emmett said.

"That's the thing. I don't remember!" I stated.

Suddenly, we all heard a glass shatter on the ground and Alice's panicked face on full display as she stood motionless by the corner of the door.

"Alice!" Jasper sprinted over to his wife's side. "What did you see? Are your visions back?"

"Nessie!" She shrieked. "She's in danger! We need to –" She stopped herself when she saw me. She frowned. "Nessie! How did you get away from the vampire so quickly?"

I widened my eyes. What?

A loud infant cry echoed throughout the immobile room, suddenly breaking the silence.

"I'll just put Carter to bed." Rosalie stood up, reaching in to lift Carter out of his mother's arms. She murmured lovingly to the baby as she placed him onto her chest. "Lizzie, why don't you come help me?"

Lizzie looked reluctant at the beginning before nodding her head. She eyed all of us carefully; worry smothering her face before walking out of the room with Rosalie walk briskly closely in front of her. It looked like she got over her moment from earlier.

"W-what? I don't understand. What happened? Did you manage to run away from him?" Alice questioned.

"I-I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders. "I just found him decapitated on the floor. That's all I remember."

"Where did you say you were?" My boyfriend asked me sternly. The tone caused me to flinch slightly.

"I was walking through the Riparian-Oak route territory. Why?" I told him. He didn't reply. He had this determined, livid expression on his face and I watched as he just began charging for the door.

"Jake!" I called as I followed him but was suddenly stopped by my mom's grip.

"Oh, no you don't." My mother told me as I watched my father and uncles following Jacob's tail. "Something could've happened to you today. I don't want anything happening to you."

"And I don't want anything happening to the people I love. I'm going." I stated, shoving my mother's hand off my wrist and running inhumanly fast out of the house. I watched as Jake immediately phased on the spot and charged for the woods on his four-legged wolf paws. My father and uncles followed closely in front of him.

I glanced at my mother who glanced back at me as stood beside me. I darted my head forward.

Oh my Jeepers!

… …

My mom and I caught up with the others and we all reached the place where I remembered I saw the body.

"Where did you say the body was?" My father asked as skimmed his supernatural eyes throughout the vacant area.

"It's supposed to be here." I whispered as I scanned the dark woods. "I found him beheaded right here."

"Who beheaded him?" Jasper asked me.

My thoughts drifted off to how I watched Ray Parker chop off his head in a blinding flash. It was so fast I couldn't even regroup my thoughts. I think he might've just saved my life.

"Ray Parker…" I murmured.

"Who's Ray Parker?" My mother asked in curiosity. I could hear Jacob's growl behind me as he protected the area.

"He's a convicted murder that burned his family alive, his wife, his daughter and his parents." Edward stated.

"The one who got of jail a year ago? Nessie!" My mother gasped as she narrowed her eyes at me.

"N-No!" I quickly replied. "I think he actually saved my life."

"That doesn't make any sense. How can a murderer save your life?" Jasper demanded.

"More importantly, how can a lame ass human manage to kill a vampire?" Emmett pointed out.

"Maybe he isn't entirely human himself…" Edward jumped to the question we had all been asking ourselves.

I widened my eyes.

"Someone must've taken the body." My father mentioned as he bent down to feel the ground and lifted a piece of stone. "And this must've been the piece of stone that broke off the vampire when he was beheaded." He mentioned.

I turned to my mother who had shriveled, bemused and dreadful look on her face. She was probably having memories of her past human life when vampires came out for her.

"Looks like we have a bunch of vampire friends in town," Edward mentioned/confirmed nonchalantly. He darted his head over to Jacob who had been snarling lowly.

"I think that's a good idea." Edward nodded his head. "Jake's going to check the perimeter. Emmett and Jasper, make sure the border's clear." He instructed.

They all nodded their heads before running off.

My father got up from the ground and pulled out his cell from his pocket. He began dialing a number.

Suddenly, a loud thunder burst forth in the cloudy, dark sky which complemented the current mood perfectly. My father stared at us carefully as he placed the phone against his ear.

"I'm calling Carlisle." He told us.

"I'll try getting ahold of Seth." Mom told me as she let go of my hand that had been engulfed in hers.

After a few seconds, I heard a howl coming from the distance.

… …

**SETH'S POV**

After Bella called me to come over because they had a problem and Jacob's wolf howl, I knew I didn't have time for questions. I shrugged my jacket on and grabbed my car keys. I ran over to the door and the minute I had my door on the handle, I realized something wasn't right.

I opened the door to see my life, my air that I breathe, my heart, my mate standing right in front of me with her sodden chestnut hair in a messy bun. Her body had been dripping of water and you'd think she was crazy to be in just a tank top and shorts. But that wasn't what worried me. It was her face. The face I enjoyed watching smile was now foreign to me.

"Alex!" I questioned.

She gnawed her water-logged lips as she folded her arms together.

"What's wrong?" Was the first thing I probed.

"I came over to see you." She murmured to me in a dry monotone.

"Did you walk all the way here? Alone? In the rain?" I demanded. She didn't reply as she continued staring at the ground.

I pursed my lips together as I eyed the hallways of the apartment building before shrugging my jacket off and draping it around Alex's shoulders.

"Come in," I whispered as I pulled her against my chest and led her into the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

I led her to the couch and placed her on it. Her catatonic-like demeanor had been on full display. I wanted…no, I needed her to talk to me and tell me what's wrong with her.

"Do you want to me to make you some coffee?" I asked her as I held her hand. She didn't reply. "I'm going to make you some coffee." I replied despite myself and shot up but she stopped me suddenly in my tracks by gripping my hand.

"Have you ever wondered how everything you knew about life was just one big lie? Have you ever had that feeling that everybody you knew wasn't who they said they were?" She finally talked to me, lifting her head to gaze into my eyes. I watched as her eyes glistened with tears.

"Baby, please tell me what's going on?" I pleaded as I cupped her face in my hands. She closed her eyes and I watched the tears depart from the sockets and touch my hands.

I pulled her into my arms as she suddenly began sobbing uncontrollably. I planted my lips onto her head as I rubbed my arms over shoulder.

"It's okay. It's okay." I murmured to her.

"No, it's not!" She cried as she gripped a fistful of my plain T-shirt in her grasp. I shushed her and planted soothing kisses on her head.

"Everyone's lying to me! I don't know why but everyone's lying about everything! I mean, you wouldn't lie to me, would you?" She questioned as she lifted herself off my chest and stared into my eyes.

My heart sank. I've never seen this side of Alex before and it's scaring the hell out of me.

"No. No. Of course not," I whispered to her.

"So you'd tell me everything right? You won't keep secrets from me, right?" She asked me.

I nodded my head slightly, frowning at her.

"What's going on, Alex?" I questioned in confusion.

She pressed her lips together as she ran the heel of her palm over her eyes, sponging the tears away. She inhaled a heavy, shaky breath before answering.

"Have you ever had to kill people, as a werewolf?" She asked me out of the blue. I frowned. "I mean, have you ever turned someone into a werewolf?"

I shook my head. "It doesn't work like that."

She chuckled nervously. "How does it work like? I mean isn't that basically the whole psychics of _werewolfdom_? You bite a person, a little _bibbidi-bobbidi-boo_ happens and bam! On the night of a full moon you turn into a giant dog!"

"Technically, I'm not really a werewolf." I said to her. She frowned. "I'm a shapeshifter that takes the shape of a large wolf. No full moon, no silver, nothing…"

"So you can't turn someone into a werewolf with venom?" She asked.

I shook my head. "It's just plain ole genetics I guess. No venom on this guy." I told her.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "That doesn't make any sense." She mumbled to herself.

"Is everything okay, Alex?" I demanded, now fully worried.

She turned to me, glancing down my now soaked shirt before moving her eyes back onto mine.

"As a matter of fact: no! Everything is not okay!" She mentioned as she shot up. "Did you know everyone in school knows about us?"

I widened my eyes. "What?"

"Yeah, apparently, word is out that you are and I quote! 'Having rendezvous' with a student in your classroom every day.' I mean what am I supposed to do with that information?" She said before laughing so hard. "Oh god, I knew this would happen."

"Wait!" I jumped off the couch and went over to her side before she starts laughing up a storm –meaning, before she starts going crazy.

"They don't know it's you, right?" I asked.

"No. But…" She paused.

"Then that's okay."

"How is your image being portrayed as a pedophile and teenage molester okay?" She asked me.

"Good point…" I replied. She nodded her head and hummed. "But I don't care."

"You should! I mean I'm dragging you down the mud because I can't bear the thought of not being with you? Doesn't that make me a little selfish? You don't deserve to get into trouble for this. I mean what were we thinking? This wasn't going to work! I don't want to put this whole sham out of its misery but what choice do we have?" She mentioned with a sigh.

I rolled my eyes as I just held her by the waist and pulled her close to me.

"Look at me." I told her. She looked up into my eyes.

"I don't care what people think because what you and I have is the most real, most honest, loving thing in my life. Whatever happens to us, it won't change that." I said to her. "You'll be done with school in a year, and you won't have a reason to keep us a secret."

"You think we'll make it that long?"

"Yeah, you know how I know? It's because you and I are endgame." I said to her with a small smile. "I know this doesn't look right but it feels right to me. I know it does to you too. We can make this work. We will make this work." I assured her.

She chuckled and stretched her hand out to run over my growing hair. She threaded her fingers through my locks and held tight over them. She smiled slightly before running her hand down to my cheek whilst placing her freehand on the back of my neck. She fiddled with the lobe of my ear and gazed deep into my eyes.

"_I love you so much!"_ She finally said to me. I know this makes me sound like a freaking girl but my heart literally skipped a beat when she said those five magical words.

I leaned down to press my lips against hers ever so gently. I loved this girl! She loved me! That's all that should matter, right?

But sadly it's not…

I knew she was hiding something from me. I could see it in her eyes and the way she acted. There was something behind her being here. It seemed like she wanted to tell me something but opted not to. I wasn't going to push her, but I really hoped she'd open up at some point.

And I hoped it wasn't something so bad that it meant life or death.

_However, sadly, I can't always get what I hope for._

… …

**FELICITY'S POV**

"Are you guys really going?" I asked my parents as I watched them walk descend the staircase with their suitcases.

"Uh, yes, honey! You do see the luggage right? And I don't understand why we need to carry along 20 of your bags, dear!" My nerdy four-eyed father mentioned as he glanced back at his wife.

"Well, I'm sorry. Three weeks is a really long time. I don't want to be spending my time repeating clothes day-after-day." My stepmom, Linda mentioned. I chuckled. God I loved her!

"It's a business trip, not a fashion show." My father stated.

Linda and I gasped in utter shock.

"I beg your pardon!" My mother clutched her chest, feeling utterly offended. I would too!

"That's a total violation of fashion society? How dare you?! Who do you think you are, mister?!" I retorted. "You'll be hearing from my attorneys. Can you believe this guy, mom?" I asked Linda.

"I know right! He looks like my husband but I'm not so sure I'd marry a guy who hates on Givenchy!"

"Or Alexander Wang!" I interjected.

"Okay! I can see I offended the fashion universe and I humbly apologize you all. It's pretty obvious the male scientific species know nothing at all, as usual!" My dad sighed.

"We won't be gone for long. Soon enough, you'll see your beautiful parents' faces again peaches." My dad mentioned as he kissed my forehead before it was my mother's turn. They both grabbed their luggage and made their way to the door.

"You guys don't have to leave you know." I told them as I followed them.

"Honey, we need to so that we can give you food, a roof over your head, and shoes." Linda told me with a smile.

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave me, you guys! I have a bad feeling something bad is going to happen while you're gone and I'm not talking about the Duggar's having a twentieth baby or Harry finally being off the market." I told them.

"Prince Harry or Harry Kyles?" Linda asked.

"The Prince, obvi! And it's Harry Styles." I corrected her. "Guys, please don't leave! Who's going to give me a ride to school?"

"You have your own car, sweetie." Linda told me.

"What if it breaks down or I get into an accident and it's wrecked?" I asked.

"That shouldn't happen and if it ever did, there's always the school bus." My father told me.

"Did I ever tell you how much I hate you?" I pointed out.

"All the time, peaches." My father told me as he pulled out his phone and began typing out something that had to do with business.

In all seriousness, I really didn't have a good feeling about this trip of theirs. It felt like a goodbye rather than anything else. I don't know why I feel so negatively about it but I do.

Needless to say, I'm a little worried.

"Oh…looks like somebody is going to miss us. Isn't that cute, Geoffrey?" My stepmom stated. "This reminds me of your childhood days."

I rolled my eyes. "You guys don't understand. I don't think this trip is a good idea, at least not right now."

"We're going to miss you too, peaches." Dad told me.

Dear god! Kill me now! Why aren't they hearing me? Do I have a tune-out sign on my forehead? Don't go you idiots!

"You should listen to your daughter, Geoffrey." My grandmother slowly entered the room with her cane in her grasp. I lurched forward to assist but she just smiled and shook me off. "It's okay, dear."

My grandmother came to visit for the weekend a week ago. I guess you can see that things didn't go as planned. My grandmother –or should I say estranged grandmother since I haven't seen her in almost ten years – just showed up one that Friday afternoon without official notice. This enraged my father and how I knew this was because he managed to crack a new equation that I don't think Pythagoras would've figured out. This seems to be the one thing that calms him down. Bridget Jones is a calmer for someone else and math is a soother for my dad.

Anyway, so back to my grandmother. She's my biological mother's big ole momma! Yep! So a little backstory, I grew up not knowing my mother at all. She left me and my dad three months after my birth and we found out she died one my third birthday from some sort of 'accident' that my dad would never disclose to me. Sure, an abandoned/motherless kid like me would've at least gotten some juice about her over the years but all I have to remember her by is an old picture of her and some stupid necklace she wore as a teen. I never brought myself to wear it because I knew it'd break my heart and plus, I already have a mom I'm content in loving right now.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you this but we don't have any choice. Our hands are tied. This business thing can't be passed up. It's really important." My father said, not moving his eyes from the screen.

"More important than your wellbeing? And the wellbeing of your daughter?" My grandmother questioned. My dad didn't reply. "You know she'll find out soon."

This seemed to trigger into my dad's mind because I watched as he lifted his head to look at my grandmother. The woman held a firm facial expression on her face; she was so rigid that even the scar on her face made her look nice.

"With all due respect –"

"This is a conversation between me and my son-in-law, Linda. I would like it if you not engage in it." Grams replied.

"I've stopped being your son-in-law seventeen years ago." My dad replied to her. "And I suggest you stop with all of this nonsense. I've invited you into my home because you're a dear family member, one of the only ones we have left but it won't stay that way for long if we continue on like this. I hope we're in understanding?" My father pointed out.

My grandmother nodded her head after a long period of silence.

"I hear you loud and clear, my son." She told him.

My dad smiled. "Good." He said, giving her a forced kiss on the cheek before coming over to me. "And I'll see you in three weeks." He told me before hugging me.

"Be back soon okay." I said against his chest.

"You can count on it, peaches."

I said goodbye to my mother before my grams and I watched them hop into the car and drive off.

"I hope they'll be okay." I sighed.

"Honey, we need to talk." My grams mentioned.

As if on cue, my phone vibrated in my back pocket.

"Oh! Hold that thought, grams!" I said as I looked to see Luke's Caller ID. I grinned and rolled my eyes.

Luke. Oh Lukey-Pookie! After that night at my dad's lab and the night's he spent in the hospital with me, we kind of grew closer. He and I are to the point where I'd think he was one of my closest friends. Who would've thought a dork like him would have something in common with me?

He was the one person I could actually confide in with anything. He was a really good listener. I mean, unlike my girlfriends, I can have a male perspective on things with him. He helped me out a lot over my rough breakup with Hunter –ugh…too soon.

Too soon…

"_Yello!_" I greeted after answering the call.

"Yello, this is your pallo! Yo-Yo!" He greeted. I giggled at his idiocy. "That sounded a lot better in my head."

"Yeah!" I laughed. I waved goodbye to my grams before making my way into the house and up to my room.

He and I talked for more than two hours. It was so easy with him which is a shocker to not me but everyone in the Californian state. Okay! I exaggerated it a little too much in the end but it was close.

"_You busy?"_ He asked me.

"Well, if you consider painting my toenails as busy then yeah! I'm busy." I replied as I ran the liquid over the soft texture. I grinned as I wriggled my toes.

"_Well, when you're done, I suggest you get off your cute little ass and come hang out with me."_ He urged.

I hummed. "Hmm…interesting approach. Let me think about it." I pointed out. "I'll need to check my schedule you know, to see if I'm free to hang out with dorks."

"_Oh! Wow! I'm touched!"_ He exclaimed. I giggled. _"No. But seriously, the Felicity Stone I know would not stay home and paint her nails. She'd be out doing Felicity Stone stuff, like I don't know, shopping?!"_

"Well, if you insist. I'll pick you up in thirty minutes. What do you think of ANGL, or Macy's or Fashion Nova or maybe even Naked Princess?" I pointed out.

Okay! Now I have a dire need to shop!

"I was just suggesting but okay. Whatever makes you happy." He said. I grinned.

After finishing up my nails, I got dressed in a white tee tucked into a knee-length pink poodle skirt with a pair of black and white wedges. I pulled my hair back into a neat bun before leaving the finishing touches…make up!

I smiled widely as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. God! I look so good!

I grabbed my golden-chain handbag before walking out of the room and out of the house. I hopped into my car and drove out of the driveway, making my way over to the Fitzpatrick residents.

I gave a light hoot and in a matter of seconds I watched Luke squirm excitedly out of his house. I chuckled. He ran over to the drivers' side and hopped in.

"Hi!" He greeted high-pitched-ly as he took a quick survey over me. I laughed. "I mean, hey!" He managed to quickly cover up in a husky voice.

"Nice save," I joked. I slipped my sunglasses on and hit play on the radio before pulling off.

… …

Luke and I went through almost every shopping outlet in the area and there was absolutely no way I wouldn't come out with anything. Five items from five different stores. Not my best but amazing nonetheless.

I thought about being generous –because I'm amazeballs as always – and let Luke pick out his store. Expectantly, he picked some gaming store but it was a good thing we were in there for long because we spotted a Froyo cart next to a corndog vendor and it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up.

"Froyo carts are so much better than Froyo stores!"

"It's the scenery." Luke replied with a mouthful of his corndog and frozen yoghurt. I shook my head and laughed.

"You've got some Froyo on the tip of your lip." I giggled. He frowned as I began licking his edges but missing it completely. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my napkin and wiped him slightly. He grinned at me.

"Thanks, mom!" He joked.

I shoved him lightly.

"So, Prom is in two weeks and I'm head of committee. Apparently Carissa Johnson got sick with mono so now I have to be in charge of the humus bowl." I groaned, rolling my eyes. "God! By the time I'm done, I'm probably going to get micro wrinkles." I chuckled as I glanced over at the Starbucks wannabe store.

I spotted Hunter Hamilton sitting in one of the tables with a bimbo blondie who probably wants to be me but can't pull it off! Okay! That's insensitive but how am I supposed to reacted when I caught my ex giggling about with some tramp?

I shoved my Froyo into the trashcan dramatically.

"What's going on?" Luke asked me as he followed my gaze. "Felicity, you don't have to look at this."

"No. I don't." I agreed before grabbing hold of the glass door handle and shoving it open.

"You don't have to enter and go up to him either!" He called. "Oh nuts!"

I inhaled a deep breath. Be cool! Don't lose it! Just casually walk over to them and pretend you're passing by.

"Well isn't this a cozy, unusual little space! Half gallery, half boho coffee shop! But then unusual pairing seemed to be the order of the day." I said with a bright smile as I reached their table.

Hunter looked up to see me and his grin fell.

"Felicity, what are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Being angry at you for breaking up with me, for one," I said to him with a fake smile. "Here I thought I'd surprise you by bringing you a new candy to chew on, but I see you found the first one to go." I mentioned, giving the girl the nasty eye.

"Who's this?" The bleach blond fake extensions, bimbo asked the dickhead.

"Hunter's ex, dear! Felicity Stone! Unpleasant to meet you." I said, stretching my hand out to her. She just looked at it and I chuckled.

"Felicity, I thought I told you I wanted nothing to do with you." He said.

"Oh I heard you loud and clear mister. I'm just here to collect what's rightfully mine." I began.

"Oh but first, take your stupid key, I would've burned it but that would be cruel to what about to give you. I'm going to give you a piping hot cup of this is how it is –ooh, coffee pun. I want every money you loaned from me, and that includes the gas coupon I gave to you on your birthday. Oh, honey, did you know he's broke?" I asked the tramp.

"Yeah! Big ole daddy has flirted with bankruptcy for the past couple months. Sooner or later, he'll be trying to crawl his way into your purse too. But looks to me you're on the same boat so I guess you guys are perfect for each other then." I grinned widely.

"I'm going to leave now. I hope you guys enjoy your coffee. That's if you could afford it." I said and I spun around.

I stopped in my tracks and turned back.

"I almost forgot." I whispered as I pulled out two pieces of my hair. I placed them in both of their cups full of coffee and blew a kiss to Hunter. "Toodles!"

I strutted out of the coffee shop where I caught Luke with his jaw dropped to the ground.

"What?" I asked.

"That was badass!" He laughed as he raised his hand up. "Up top!"

I giggled as I gave it to him.

It felt so good!

… …

**RENESMEE'S POV**

Today was an off day for the entire school so that much was a relief after what happened last night. My family was now on high alert as we all came into the realization that someone was indeed coming after us. We just didn't know who.

Alice was still trying to figure out how her visions have suddenly started delaying every moment. She feels guilty that

I couldn't get over the fact that Ray Parker, someone who apparently was a convicted murderer saved me from a vampire trying to kill me. I feel like I need to owe him, to thank him yet I still felt like I needed to rather keep my distance.

The family was gathered in the living room, trying to talk about our move and how we'd like to stay wary but that has proven to be hard with Carter's adorableness filling the room.

"He's so cute." Bella said as she watched the five day old –yet you'd swear he was probably two-four weeks old – lay on the soft carpet floor looking up at all of us with his gorgeous amber-blue eyes. "He's really enjoying that floor."

"His thoughts are so amusing to listen too. He loves the weirdest things, like the sun. He whines all the time because there's no sun in the nighttime." Edward said.

"He's got us wrapped around his little fingers." Rosalie cooed as she sat on the couch, staring down at the baby whilst Lizzie smiled beside her with a cup of animal blood.

Carlisle thought that if she keeps on drinking animal blood 24/7 then maybe she'll get used to it and not have the need to have human blood. My dad doesn't think she has my mom's self-control or anything but she's definitely determined which helps her not to give into her newborn spirit.

We all smiled at Carter as he made a little cute yawn before drifting off to sleep. My father shook his head before turning to Jasper and Emmett.

"So, we should probably discuss what we're going to do." He said as they made their way out of the room.

"So, I've got something to tell you." Jake whispered as I sat on his comfortable lap on one of the arm recliners.

"Okay," I said as I stared at him carefully, not liking where this was going.

He sighed. "I'm going back to Washington next month." He told me.

My eyes bulged and suddenly, I couldn't control my emotions from flooding through me. I

"W-what? Why?" I demanded.

"Oh, no. It won't be for forever or anything. I-I've just got some pack business to attend to. It'll only take a couple of days." He told me.

"Okay, when are we going?" I pointed out.

He chuckled. "_I'm_ going in the next two weeks. You have a school. And believe me, I'd love for you to come with me but I don't think your dad would like that very much."

"Why are you afraid of my dad? I thought you guys hated each other all those years ago." I pointed out as I trailed my fingers up his large arm. I've actually always wondered why they hated each other. I knew it had something to do with the fact that they were sworn enemies and that he kissed my mom –still thought it was disgusting even as a three year old when they told me – but I knew there was something more.

"We did." He murmured into my neck as he gave it a kiss, his arms firmly around my body. "But that was before you came into the picture. I'm not afraid of your dad, don't get me wrong, I just want to be able to see you every day and that wouldn't happen if we're always at each other's throats now would it?"

"I guess. So you just respect him?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "I try."

"That's sweet of you." I said to him. "But I can't get over the fact that you're going to leave me all alone here for a couple of days! And by the way, what is your idea of _**a couple of days **_because _'a couple of days'_ to me is a day and a half."

He chuckled, as he moved my hair to the side to plant lingering kisses down my shoulder.

"Two, maybe three days," He told me.

"That's a really long time." I mentioned, my breathing hitched as I dreaded the upcoming days of emptiness in my life here in California. I heard him laugh.

"I don't think I should go, what with what's happening." He said.

"No. No. You need to go. Don't be ridiculous. My family's got it covered. You need to take care of your pack." I encouraged him, but deep down, I was screaming for him to stay with me.

"We'll be upstairs if you guys need us."

He released a sigh. "I don't know what I would've done if anything happened to you yesterday."

"Okay that I will not let you do. You cannot blame yourself for what never happened." I said I turned around in his lap –causing him to grunt lowly – and faced him. "It was my fault for walking home alone, not yours."

He smiled slightly, leaning in to peck my lips ever so gently. He pulled away and I grinned. I knew he wasn't entirely convinced but hopefully he'll understand soon enough.

The second I laid my head, an unusual yet familiar scent reached my nostrils. I shot my head up and glanced back at Jake who had the same facial expression.

"Someone's coming!"

My family suddenly appeared and in a blinding flash, we were all outside.

"Rosalie's got the baby and Lizzie in the room upstairs." My mother told my father.

"Who do you think it is?" Jasper asked.

"Prepare for anything and anyone at this point." Edward stated as we all stood in the epicenter of the front yard. "Stay close, everyone."

We could hear the scent coming closer and closer and closer. I clutched onto Jake's arm, dreading the next couple of seconds. My eyes were fully set into the horizon.

The scent drew nearer before it was too prominent to be any further away from us. But the question was: Where was its host?

A dark shadow suddenly flew above us and the ruffling off trees reached our ears. I lifted my head up, feeling slightly blinded by the scorching sun. The dark hasty shadow flew past us and this caused my body to shiver.

"Over here!" A deep, brooding voice called up from the top of the tree branch.

I darted my head up.

That was when my jaw immediately agape in pure shock.

"Oh my god!"

… …

**A/N: Whoa! Long chapter again! What the hell just happened? Who was the mysterious dark shadow? Next chapter will be the big reveal Lol but you can speculate who might be. **

**I thought I'd add some Alex and Seth because it's been a while. Their relationship will get tested soon so I'm hoping these cute moments can overcome the trails that lie ahead.**

**Felicity's chapter was a lighter part of the chapter and I just think she's awesome.**

**Fun Fact: Felicity's character has been slightly inspired by my undying love for Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl in this chapter. I love this character! Do you guys think so? Or is she meh?**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Keep an eye out for the next update.**


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